“What does Wrecker have to say about all of this?”
They had church last night about Adley being here, and I figured I should know what had been said, seeing as I was going to be the one to keep an eye on her.
“You know what happens in church is club business.”
I quirked my eyebrow and tapped my foot. “Spill, Stewart.”
“That one kind of hurt more than Slug,” he muttered. “Can you not go with the geeky names?”
“What did the club have to say about this whole thing?” I asked again.
“Fine,” Slayer relented. “They didn’t say anything other than good fucking luck.”
“Yeah, right.” There was no way Wrecker and the rest of the guys didn’t have more than that to say.
“I’m serious. Wrecker said Adley isn’t a problem he can help with but if it turns out that she isn’t my kid, then he’ll step in to help me figure shit out.”
I eyed Slayer closely. “Do you think she is yours?”
“Am I one hundred percent sure? No.” Slayer ran his fingers through his hair. “But I just find it hard to believe that her mom would go through all of this if she wasn’t sure that I am.”
“You know who her mom was?”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t remember her at all.”
Well, I couldn’t decide if that was douchey or if that was understandable since it would have been over twelve years since he knocked boots with Adley’s mom. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he chuckled. “You’re not going to yell at me for not remembering her or not knowing I had a kid out in the world for the past twelve years?”
I shrugged. “I mean, twelve years is a long time. I was only ten years old twelve years ago and don’t really remember anything from back then.”
Slayer scowled and curled his lip. “Trying to make me feel old, Waneeta?”
“Did it work?” I asked sweetly. Any way to get under Slayer’s skin was fun to do.
“Not even close,” he growled. “You’re gonna have to try a lot harder than that to get to me.”
I rolled my eyes and turned on my heel. “I’m heading back in. I’ll tell Adley she gets her wish. Try finding us a place to live that has a jacuzzi and a gazebo.”
If I gave him a ridiculous request maybe that would keep him away for the rest of the day.
“How about a roof over our heads? I think that’s all we can ask for right now.”
I glowered at him over my shoulder. “At least a tub big enough for me to soak with my bum and knees covered.”
“Don’t worry, Willa, I’ll make sure your ass is covered.”
My cheeks heated at his words, and I was completely speechless. Had Slayer just flirted with me? My feet carried me to the door, and I slid it open before I could think of a cheeky reply. “Don’t you worry about my ass, Sonny.”
I swiftly closed the door and waited ‘til I was out of sight from Slayer and dropped to my knees. “Sonny,” I whispered. “You called him Sonny and referred to your ass in the same sentence, Wendy.”
“Uh, everything okay?”
My head snapped back, and my eyes connected with Wrecker. Son of a bitch. “Peachy,” I wheezed. I popped up off the floor, and Wrecker jumped back before the top of my head connected with his beard and chin. “Just, uh, thought I would say a quick prayer.”
Oh, my God. My cheeks heated, and I knew I was bright red with embarrassment.
“Prayer? I didn’t know you were the religious type.”
I smiled wide and actually prayed to God that I didn’t look like a deranged patient from the psych ward. “Oh, you know…God is my homie.”
Kill me now and bury me in the backyard.
God is my homie? What in the hell was wrong with me?
Wrecker cleared his throat and slightly nodded. “Well, I guess I won’t interrupt your impromptu prayer thing. I was just looking for Slayer.”
I hitched my thumb over my shoulder toward the back yard. “He’s out there.”
Wrecker was with Alice. He had to be used to weird women so maybe what I had said didn’t even faze him. Hopefully.
Wrecker nodded and stepped to move around me. “Nice jacket, by the way.”
I nodded stiffly and tried not to melt into a puddle of embarrassment. I kept my back Wrecker and waited ‘til I heard the sliding door open and close.
All I had to do was get to my room and try not to embarrass myself anymore.
I had agreed to live with Slayer, then I was pretty sure he flirted with me, and to top it all off, I had actually said “God is my homie” out loud in front of the president of the Fallen Lords MC.
Yup, as soon as I got to my room, I was going to die of stupidity and embarrassment.
*
Slayer
“Place is furnished, for the most part. Beds, living room furniture, and kitchen is stocked.” Wrecker took a drag off his cigarette and exhaled. “You and Adley can move in now.”
“And Wendy.”
Wrecker quirked his eyebrow. “Come again?”
“Adley somehow became attached to Wendy, and she wanted her to live with us.” I still didn’t know how the hell that had happened.
“Before I walked out here, I found her on her knees in the hallway. I asked her what she was doing, and she said God was her homie and she was praying.” Wrecker dropped his cigarette and ground it out with his heel. “I’ve seen some weird shit since Alice and I hooked up, but that was a different level of weird.”
“You sure you heard her right?” That did not sound like Wendy at all.
“Brother, I am telling you that she said, word for word, ‘God is my homie.’”
I tipped my head to the side and tried not to laugh. “What’d you say?”
“Said I was just looking for you and would let her get back to her prayer.” Wrecker laughed and shook his head. “Can’t wait to tell Alice.”
Only Wrecker would see some weird shit and just let it be. “I’ll have to ask her about that later.”
“Back to what I was saying.” Wrecker pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to me. “Place is all yours, brother.”
I clasped the key in my hand and squeezed it. “That happened pretty fucking fast.”
“Oakley has become a pretty good business partner. One of his guys dropped that off a couple of minutes ago.”
“And you told me yesterday you weren’t going to help me.”
Wrecker chuckled. “I told you yesterday that Adley wasn’t a problem, not that I wasn’t going to help you.”
“Ah, pretty sure you did say you weren’t going to help.” Maybe not in so many words, but that was the point he tried to get across. It was nice to know that I wasn’t going to be on my own.
Wrecker’s phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket. “It’s Alice.” He nodded to the key in my hand. “Get moved in. Grab however many guys it will take you to make that happen.” He put the phone to his ear and headed back into the clubhouse.
It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since Adley had popped up, and my life had done a complete one-eighty.
Years of living in a clubhouse with my brothers to now living in a three-bedroom house with a girl who might be my daughter and a woman who I barely knew.
Life really did seem to throw you a curveball when you least expected it.
*
Chapter Six
Wendy
“What do you mean you aren’t coming home?”
I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder and sighed. “Because I need to stay for a bit longer.”
“Who is going to help Elle and me make cookies this year?” Mom asked.
I rolled my eyes and sat down on my new bed, in my new bedroom, inside of my new house. Well, not my house, but mine for now. “Pretty sure you and Elle don’t need my help. You normally put me on oven duty. Have Dad do it this year.”
Mom scoffed. “Your father is not interested in making cookies. I’ve barely seen him since he got that n
ew flying thing.”
“Drone, Mom,” I laughed. “He got a drone, and I’m glad he has something to keep him busy.”
“Well, I’m not. The cops were over here the other day. Did you know that?”
“What?” I exclaimed. “What happened?”
“Your father and that flying thing!” Mom tsked, and I knew she was rolling her eyes even though I wasn’t there to see it. “He was spying on the neighbors with the damn thing. Kurt thought it was a UFO, and he called the police.”
“Wait,” I laughed. “If Kurt thought it was a UFO, then why did the police come to the house?”
“Because,” she drawled, “when the police were over at Kurt’s, your father flew the damn thing over there so he could spy on him to see why the police were there. The cop followed the thing back to our house.”
“Oh, my God,” I laughed.
“Wendy, I have never been so confused and embarrassed at once.”
“So, what did Dad say when he found out he can’t be spying on the neighbors with the drone?”
“That bastard denied it. Said he was just taking the drone out for a test flight.” Mom huffed, and I heard a loud thump through the phone. “Swear to God, Wendy, that man is going to drive me to an early grave. Thankfully, it was Deputy Matthews who has a sweet spot for you, so he let Dad off with a warning.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom, please do not encourage Dave to think that there is anything that is going to happen between us.”
Deputy Dave Matthews—not the musician, for the record—had been in love with me for as long as I could remember. All through grade school, and straight to the end of high school, Dave pined for me. It was a shame that I felt absolutely nothing for him except for friendship.
“Well, Wendy, did you want your father to get arrested?”
“Of course not,” I insisted.
“Good. When you get back home, Dave wants to take you to the movies.”
“No,” I groaned. “How could you do that to me?”
“Oh, buck up,” Mom ordered. “It’s not going to hurt you.”
Only my mom would barter a date in exchange for Dad not getting arrested. “Well, you just guaranteed me never coming home.”
“Wendy,” she scolded.
A knock sounded on my door, and Carnie peeked her head in. “What are you doing sitting on the phone when we’re all downstairs?”
I hit the speakerphone button and laid the phone on the bed. “Mom was telling me how Dad is spying on the neighbors with the drone your boyfriend bought him and how I have to go on a date with Dave so Dad doesn’t get arrested.”
“I know all of that,” Carnie laughed.
“You know!” I shouted.
“Your sister is a good girl and calls her mother every other day. You might want to try it sometime,” Mom cut in.
Carnie beamed brightly. “Hey, Mama.”
I growled and shot up off of the bed. “Maybe I just won’t call at all and you can get all of your information from Carnie from now on.”
I was twenty-two years old and my mom and sister could still make me act like a moody teenager.
“Oh, hush, Wendy,” Mom remarked.
“You tell Mom you’re living with Slayer?”
I glared at Carnie and wished I had a roll of duct tape handy. She needed to be shut up.
“You what?” Mom boomed. “You just told me you were going to stay with your sister for a bit longer.”
Carnie shimmied her shoulders and winked at me. “Oh, she’s staying, but not so she can hang out with me. She’s moving in with Slayer to help take care of his daughter.”
“I thought you two hated each other?”
I grabbed my pillow off the bed and tossed it at Carnie. It smacked her upside the head, and I was happy for a second. Then, Carnie kept talking.
“They don’t. I think it’s just sexual tension,” Carnie pondered.
I snatched the phone off the bed and turned off the speakerphone. “Mother?” I said. I pressed the phone to my ear and glared at Carnie. “I’m not coming home now, but I will be home soon. I’m staying to help Adley get settled, and then, I’ll be back home.” I ended the call before she could say anything or tell me her two cents about Slayer and me hating or not hating each other.
I tossed the phone on the bed and crossed my arms over my chest. “Please tell me why you think you needed to tell Mom that there is sexual tension between Slayer and me when there most certainly isn’t?”
“Because there is,” Carnie sang.
I rolled my eyes and moved across the room to my new walk-in closet.
The house Slayer had managed to rent was way better than I imagined.
Two stories.
Three bedrooms.
Large living room.
Huge kitchen.
A bonus room in the attic.
A smile was plastered on Adley’s face when she stepped through the front door, and it hadn’t left.
“I’m here for Adley, Carnie.” And I didn’t really think I would be here that long. Once she got settled, I was going to be gone.
“I know, I know,” she mumbled. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun while you’re here.” She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled wide.
“No.” There would be no fun like the type she was talking about.
“Yes.”
I ignored Carnie, walked out of the room, and headed to the stairs. She caught up to me halfway down the stairs and grabbed my arm.
“You’re kind of moody today,” she whispered.
I looked up at her and scowled. “I’m not moody.” Though you couldn’t tell from my moody tone.
“What’s wrong?”
“Stop it with the sexual tension shit. I’m serious, Carnie. I don’t want to hear it.” Nothing was going to happen with Slayer and me. I was here for Adley, and that was it.
“I don’t know why you’re getting so mad about it.”
“Because,” I hissed. “The more you say it, the more people are going to think that there is something going on.”
“Maybe the more you’re going to believe it, and then, it will happen.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and I just wanted to punch her in the nose.
“I hate you,” I seethed.
She smiled wide. “You sure are getting upset over something that you keep denying.”
I plastered my hand on her face and pushed her away. I spun on my heel and marched the rest of the way down the stairs.
“That is why I wanted a sister,” Karmen sighed. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Cole on her hip. “There aren’t many people in this world that you can push their buttons and still love them.”
“You want a sister?” I asked. “You can have Carnie. You’ll give her back to me by the end of the week.”
I moved into the kitchen with Karmen following behind. Most everyone was sitting in the living room but Nikki, Pipe, and Freak were in the kitchen.
“Your woman is driving me crazy. Can’t you take her home or something?” I asked Freak.
He shrugged and took a sip of beer. “She’s happy making you crazy.”
“Really?” I growled. I grabbed a slice of pizza from one of the boxes on the counter. “I’m going to remember that when she starts driving you crazy.”
Freak chuckled and shook his head. “Pretty sure that ain’t never going to happen.”
“We’re heading out,” Alice called.
I stood in the doorway to living room. “Thanks for all the help.”
Alice laughed and struggled to put her coat on. Wrecker took pity on her and helped get her arms into the sleeves.
“I didn’t do much other than help eat some pizza.” Alice grabbed a cow print stocking hat out of her pocket and plopped it on her head. “Peace out, homies.”
My cheeks heated at the word homie, and I looked at Wrecker.
He smirked. “I didn’t tell her yet.”
“Tell me what?” Alice demanded.
�
��No!” I yelped.
Wrecker gave me a knowing smile, and I knew it was only going to be a matter of minutes before Alice was going to know about God being my homie, and then, it wouldn’t be long after that the rest of the club were going to know. “I’ll tell you in the car, babe.”
After Wrecker herded Alice out to the car, everyone else headed out. Of course, Carnie had to give me a little more shit before she left with Freak, but thankfully, no one heard her teasing me about sexual tension.
“Your room okay?”
I spun away from the window in the living room and came eye to eye with Slayer. He was two feet away from me, and if I wanted to, I could reach out and touch him. “Jesus, Steve, I need to put a bell on you.”
“You’re not being very creative with my names, Wynne.” His hands were in his pockets, and he had a sexy, smug smile on his lips.
The man drove me crazy, but I couldn’t deny that he was not hard on the eyes to look at.
“I must be tired,” I grumbled. I needed to hop online and make a list of names I could call him. Though, I didn’t want to have a pull a list out when I wanted to insult him. I was off my game a bit. “Adley up in her room?”
Slayer nodded. “Yup. She’s watching some movies.”
“Kids singing and dressed up in funky clothes?”
“Uh, yup. Don’t know how it happened, but I watched it with her for a little bit.”
A laugh bubbled from my lips. “Been there. Last night, I told her she could watch whatever she wanted because I figured I would just nod off.” I shook my head. “Nope. I stayed awake for both movies she watched. Those kid movies are addicting these days.”
Slayer moved to the window, and I turned to watch him. Something seemed different about him. I hadn’t really been around him when he wasn’t in the clubhouse surrounded by all of the other guys.
“Kind of crazy how last night we were sleeping in the clubhouse, and now we’re in this house,” he pondered.
“Yeah, I gotta say you really came through on the house.”
He glanced over at me with a smile playing on his lips. “What? Did you think I was going to put us in some hole in the wall?”
Slayer (Fallen Lords MC Book 8) Page 4