Arrow of Time (Marauders)

by Andersson, Lina

  “Hey, baby.”

  “We have an emergency,” she said. “Do you know where Edie is?”

  Three months. Edie'd been with them for three months and he was starting to wonder how the fuck they'd made the days work before. Because she'd saved their asses more than once during one of these 'emergencies'.

  “Why would I know that?”

  “I don't know, I was more hoping.” She turned to Vasco. “Do you?”

  “Nope. Know she's working the short, late shift today, but that's it. Think she said something about meeting Dawn.”

  “Damn!”

  He noticed Eliza going up to Dawg, who immediately picked her up. That fucker obviously had every woman on the planet under his spell, even kids! He shook his head when he noticed Eliza putting her arms around his neck and hugging him tight after pulling off his beanie.

  “What's the emergency?” He asked Mel.

  “I haven't seen her all day, and I can't find her. Mac and Mitch are at their mom's this weekend, which I forgot. I need to go to that meeting with the supplier, grease them up to give us better prices, and I can't bring the kid and I'm guessing you're...” she looked around and gave him a sweet smile. “Occupied.”

  “Not yet, but I will be in about an hour.”

  “Why don't you call her?” Wolf said. “Edie, I mean,”

  “She doesn't have a phone,” Brick explained.

  “What! Why?” Dawg said with a laugh.

  “She's Edie,” Mel snapped, and he had to bite his cheeks not to laugh.

  “She's getting one,” he said instead and ignored the glare from his wife.

  She was cute as fuck when she was pissed, but this was not the right moment to mention it. He knew what set her off with Dawg's question. Edie had some strange ideas about stuff, and she seemed to be allergic to tech. She hardly ever watched TV, and if she did, it was a movie or documentary. He'd seen her by the computer now and then, but it was just to check her emails. She didn't have a cell.

  He looked at Vasco. He probably knew her best, at least her habits here in Greenville. “What's her usual places?”

  “Library, that café... what's it called?” Vasco was looking at Mel.

  “Java,” Mel nodded.

  “That's the one. And then it's that vegan place that Dawn takes her to sometimes.”

  “Right. Three places, start with those. You've got thirty minutes to find her.”

  “Frekkin' prospect work,” Wolf muttered.

  Brick had to give him a point for that. It was prospect work, but at the moment the two prospects were out getting supplies for the party that night. They didn't have much of an option though. Mel needed to go to that smooch dinner and they needed Edie to babysit. He didn't trust the prospects with his kid yet.

  “Yeah?” He glared at Wolf. “Unless you wanna have a kid in your lap during church, you find Edie.”

  The three of them took off, and he assumed they'd be smart enough to divide the places between them without him clarifying that detail. He turned to Mel.

  “If we don't find her, I'll call Bear and have Lisa watch them. It'll work out.” Lisa was Bear and Michaela's oldest daughter. Or rather, she was Michelle's daughter from a previous – very short – relationship, but she was Bear's in all the ways that counted. The youngest, Violet, was too young to babysit. “I'm gonna have a talk with Mech about a phone for Edie.”

  “We can't force her to get a phone just so we can make sure she runs to our rescue whenever we need a babysitter.”

  “I'll talk to her. She'll agree.”

  “You can't force her, honey.”

  He was getting tired of Mel being so scared they'd do something that would upset Edie. She wasn't gonna take off for shit like that, but Mel kept protecting her. Building walls around her. She was about two steps from wrapping the girl up in bubble wrap. It was ridiculous. He also suspected it was starting to get on Edie's nerves.

  “I'm not going to force her, I'm gonna suggest it and say it would be helpful if she had one. Jesus, woman! I'm not some dictator, and she's not that fucking fragile.”

  “Okay.”

  “Hey. Come here.” He reached for her and pulled her in for a hug. “You need to stop being so overprotective of her. She's a big girl and no one'll get her to do something she doesn't want to. You know that.”

  “I know. I'm just...”

  “We're not gonna scare her off. Don't worry, baby.” He looked down at her. “Give me some lips.”

  She looked up at him and he could see her eyes go soft and the slight smile on her lips before she rolled up on her toes and gave him a proper kiss.

  -o0o-

  I was sitting at a café, reading. Dawn had left not long before, since she had the early shift, but I'd brought some books. I hadn't been able to decide on just one, so at the moment there were two of them on the table and one in my hands. Somewhere in the back of my head I heard the chair opposite me being pulled out and scraping across the floor; my brain just didn't fully registered it.

  “Hey, Nibbles.”

  I looked up and saw Dawg with his usual, arrogant, shit-eating grin. With a sigh, I closed my book and put it top of the two already lying on the table.

  “Hey.”

  I had to fucking admit it, like I always had to when I saw him; those gray eyes, the beard, the ink covering that very nice body; the man was handsome. Pretty damn sexy as well. Only downside was that he knew it. I looked at the tattoo over his throat. The wings were really beautifully done. All of his ink was first class work, at least the stuff I'd been able to see. There were tattoos going up the sides of his neck as well. Some flowers that I couldn't identify. On his lower left arm one of the tattoos was classic heart with 'mom' in it. I wasn't much of a fan of those old school tattoos, but he made those work too. In general he made the fact that he was absolutely covered, with exception of his face, in ink, work. It didn't look cramped at all, it looked perfectly natural. And, again, very sexy.

  He was tall, over six feet. I wasn't sure how much and I wasn't about to ask. It was annoying that I gave a shit, just like it annoyed me that I thought he was sexy. He noticed me staring and gave me that cocksure smile again.

  “Heads up—Brick is set on giving you a mobile.”

  I wasn't sure what he meant, and I wondered why he was here. Was it just to tell me that?

  “Why would I need a heads up for that?”

  “Mel seems to think you don't want one.”

  I shook my head with a smile and shrugged. “Not sure why she'd think that. Not like she's asked, and I just haven't thought about getting one.”

  In fact, I had decided that I couldn't afford one at the moment. A waitress wasn't making all that much money, and a cell didn't seem that important to me. Even if I wasn't embarrassed about the fact that I wasn't making a lot of money, Dawg didn't need to know that. That's when I got why Mel would think that I didn't want one and continued.

  “Aah. She seems to think I'm half bewildered. I've tried to explain that I spent a lot of the time in actual cities. Big ones. Think it's because I eat with my hands.”

  “Why do you eat with your hands?”

  “If it's too hot to hold in the hand it's too hot to put in the mouth.” I noticed Dawg looking at my mouth when I said it. “And... I spent a lot of time in areas where they didn't have silverware. At least not our kind.”

  He kept looking at me, just smiling and just when it started to feel really awkward, he took one of the books on the table and held it up.

  “I've heard they have this thing called e-readers these days.”

  “I know that. I've never left the planet.”

  That made him laugh again. He did that a lot and I wondered if it was because it was easy for him to laugh or if it was just another way for him to charm women because he knew he looked great when he did. He'd turned the chair around and was leaning his arms on the backrest. That I was damn sure was a thing done to make him look sexier.

  I was fed up
with him now, and I wanted him to leave or at least tell me why he was here. So I simply asked, to speed up the process.

  “Are you bugging me for a reason?”

  “Yes, I am. There’s a crisis at the compound. They need a babysitter. Mel has a meeting and we have church.”

  “Okay.” I packed up my things while he was still looking at me. I knew he was, even if I was avoiding looking at him in return to confirm it. To not completely ignore him, I asked him something that I'd been wondering for a while. “Dawg, what's your real name?”

  “Why are you asking?”

  “It's a bit... weird to call you Dawg.”

  “Nothing weird about it. It's my name.”

  “Should've known better,” I muttered as I threw the last book into the bag.

  “What?”

  “I asked Vasco, and he just said that it was his real name, only name I needed to know since it would be the only thing I would call him.”

  I stood up and threw the bag over my shoulder. Dawg stood up and then moved to stand right in front of me. I just barely reached his chin and he was looking down at me, eyes gleaming. You notice strange things when someone's that close. The ring in his nose had twisted so the lock was almost on the outside. And when you forget breathing, realize it and take a deep breath, that the other person can smell really nice. Dawg smelled nice, and he was still sporting that fucking smile.

  “Tell you what, Nibbles. You tell me what you've got inked on your back and I'll tell you what name my mama gave me.”

  I stared at him. His focus shifted from one eye to the other as he met my stare. He was so close. When I bit my lower lip he broke the connection and looked down at my mouth, so I took a step back and smiled. Had to give it to the man, he was really trying, and he was good. But I could play that game as well.

  I leaned forward and got up on my toes and waited til his eyes met mine again, then I blew up a big smile.

  “Forget it.”

  The very next second I turned around and walked towards the door. It didn't take long before I heard his chuckle and he caught my wrist.

  “Nibbles, hang on!” Then he was next to me. “I'll take you there.”

  I wish I could've told him to go fuck himself, but I didn't have a car. Something that was high up on my list of things I needed. A lot higher up than a phone. Unfortunately, also a lot more expensive than a phone. There were some other, embarrassing, problems involving a car.

  I wasn't sure if I could drive one, not in the city, while following existing traffic rules that people paid attention to. I had a driver’s license and I had actually been driving now and then while I was away. But usually on country roads surrounded by sand, sometimes a forest. Or in a city like New Delhi where no one knew the traffic rules and to get forward you just honked, yelled, prayed and hoped for the best. I didn't think that technique would go over all that well in Greenville.

  Dawg took me to his bike and looked at me, so I snapped out of my car thoughts and stared at the bike. It wasn't like Vasco's. There was no back support for the passenger.

  “You okay with this?”

  “Sure,” I said while trying to catch my breath.

  “You've done this?” He looked a bit skeptical.

  “Yes, with Vasco.” I looked at him and kept talking so I'd be able to avoid the inevitable for just a few more seconds. “Do they know you found me? I mean, so they're not still searching.”

  “Texted them when I saw you.”

  He swung his long leg over the bike and sat down. For some reason, bikers were at their sexiest when they swung their leg over their bike. I waited until he'd started it, and then I got up behind him. And this was the reason for my uneasy feelings. I was trying to figure out where to put my arms and how I could do this without... pressing my chest against him. Or just, generally touching him at all. I ended up putting my hands on his shoulder. In response, Dawg turned around, shaking his head.

  “Around my waist.”

  I glared at him, trying to figure out if this was something he said so I'd have to rub up against him. On the other hand, I kind of had to anyway. There wasn’t that much room on the bike and he seemed to know what I was thinking.

  “Nibbles, I'm not saying it just to get you flat against my back. It really is the safest way. You can ask Vasco when we get back. Or Brick. Or anyone, they'd all say the same.”

  I didn't say anything, but did as he asked. I'd seen him drive before and it didn't escape me that he was taking it slow and careful, something I very much appreciated. Once we were at the compound, he waited for me to get off the bike, then turned it off and followed me inside. Brick met me at the door.

  “Can you take her?”

  “Sure. Can I have a word?” I could see him hesitate, and I knew they had church soon. “A really quick one.”

  He nodded and took me to the side of the bar.

  “I'm thinking about getting a car. Something cheap, like really cheap.”

  “Didn't even know you had a driver’s license,” he said and eyed me. “I'm not getting you a car if you don't have a driver’s license.”

  “I do, but I haven't really been driving in a city for a while, at least not one where traffic rules are a factor. Or driving much at all. And most often it was more like... the desert and stuff. You know, obstacle free areas.” That made him laughed and I cleared my throat. “So I might need driving lessons.”

  “Yeah, I'll take care of that, too.” He gave me a stern look. “If you agree to a phone.”

  “Sure. Just didn't think about getting one. It's not like I'd refuse it. Can I get a prepay? Don't want any scary phone bills.”

  “It's a prepay and I'm paying for it. Just let me know when you run out on it.”

  He waved at Mech who came over and immediately handed me a phone.

  “All our numbers are programmed on it,” he said.

  “Thanks.” I put the phone in my pocket and the charger in my bag. He’d had it ready so Brick had obviously made up his mind before I got there. Not like I cared. Not about stuff like this. If he wanted to give me a free phone and pay for it, that was fine by me. If it bugged me, it had an off button. “So, since I just admitted I can't drive for shit despite having a driver’s license, can you get someone to get me and Eliza home?”

  “Yeah,” he said and nodded towards Bucket, who got up and went outside. He put his arm around me and started to walk towards the door. “I'll have someone give you a ride to work as well.”

  “That's okay. I'll get a ride.”

  Brick kissed my cheek and opened the door. “I'll have someone give you a ride, doll.”

  When I walked outside I noticed Eliza come running and Mel walking behind her with a big smile on her face.

  “All okay?”

  “Yup. And your hub just gave me a free phone!”

  “Good,” she kissed Eliza. “I have to go, be nice to your aunt. I'll see you both later.”

  I looked at Eliza. “So... what are we going to watch?”

  “Mulan! She rocks!”

  “That she does. Okay. Mulan it is.”

  I took her hand and walked towards Bucket, who was waiting next to the van.

  -o0o-

  It was a good six hours after church was done when Vasco noticed Dawg coming towards him and he sat down. He also couldn't help noticing that he wasn't dragging around on a woman. Around this time it was quite often two, but at the moment he was alone and he wasn't looking around.

  “What's up?” he asked and looked at Dawg who shrugged. “Usually, by this time you're neck deep in pussy.”

  Dawg gave him another shrug and a sigh. “I don't know...” he looked around, emptied his beer and stood up. “I need to get out of here for a while. I'll see you tomorrow, old man.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Home?” he said it like a question.

  'Home' in this case was a dump. A one bedroom apartment that was empty, with the exception of a bed and a music collection, the las
t time he saw it, and he doubted that Dawg'd done much about it since. As far as he knew, the kid was hardly ever there.

  “Could go to The Rover with me. Need to pick up Edie and give her a ride home, and then you and I can have a talk.”

  There was something up with the kid and he wanted to know what it was. It wasn't good to let things fester. That's how small shit became big shit. Vasco knew that this boy was a fucking expert at letting things do just that. It had kept him from talking to his dad for almost a year. When Dawg moved to Greenville to prospect, his dad hadn't liked it. The two of them being the same meant they were equally fucking stubborn and proud.

  It wasn't that they didn't love each other. He knew for a fact that the kid loved his dad and had never stopped. He just wanted to make a name for himself, prospect like everyone else instead of doing it at the charter where his father, one of the founding members, was the president. Vasco respected that. Most people respected that. His stubborn ass dad got pissed. He'd called Vasco, since he was the godfather, and Dawg agreed to prospecting in Greenville. Shit didn't get any better when he didn't go back to Englewood after patching in. That's when they stopped talking for a while.

  He'd spent hours with him and he loved the guy. Dawg was a proud, vain manwhore, but also one of the most loyal and serious members the club had. He was born into it; it was in his blood.

  Dawg nodded and smiled at his suggestion, probably knew what it was about, but didn't protest.

  Twenty minutes later, they knocked on the door to The Rover and Edie opened.

  “Hey.” Her smile almost died when she noticed Dawg. “Hi?”

  “Hope you're choosing music today, 'cause that shit Dawn played last time almost gave me kidney stones,” Vasco muttered as he walked inside and glared at Dawn who just laughed at him.

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Choosing music?” Dawg asked him as they sat down at a table.

  “They clean to music.” He explained and turned to the bar, yelling to Edie. “Give the old man some country, why don't ya?”

  “Coming right up with the beer and my mad mop skills.”