Long John nodded. "Maybe he's in denial."
"Maybe. What I do know though, is that it ain't our business, and right now the club comes first. We got a lotta shit needs doing and we don't need personal shit getting in the way."
TWENTY-ONE
Joe couldn't deny the feelings of guilt. He should've been on the protection run to Tucson. Instead, here he was babysitting. It wasn't Amy's fault. If he's been there for her in the first place, they wouldn't be in this situation. There was no doubt that without intervention, she was going to end up going the same way as Maria. He took a deep breath. "Amy, sugar. I've been thinking, maybe when I go back to Seattle, you should come with me."
"But I don't know anyone in Seattle. All my friends are in California."
"That's exactly why you should be moving away."
"Yes but…”
"But nothing. If you keep on hanging with those assholes, you're gonna get deeper and deeper in the shit. Amy, you're a bright girl. I ain’t prepared to sit back and watch you throw your life away."
"There's no way Mom will agree."
"Actually, I spoke to your mom earlier. She thinks it's a good idea. To be honest, sugar, I think she's reached the end of her rope."
"Ha. Should've known she'd want to get rid of me."
"No, you're wrong. She's scared that history is going to repeat itself."
"I am not my mom!"
"Driving around in stolen cars, drinking, smoking weed. No, you're nothing like your mom." He pointed a finger at her. "Don't try an' fight me over this."
"So you're going to bully me into doing what you want?"
"If that's what it takes, sugar."
Amy scowled and hugged her knees. She knew there was no point in fighting with him. He'd made up his mind. And when Joe made up his mind, there was no changing it. Joe sat next to her and put his arm round her shoulders. "I know this isn't what you want. But it is for the best."
"And what about when you're on a run? You just gonna leave me on my own?"
"There are people that will look out for you. We'll figure it out."
"I really hate you sometimes."
"No, you don't." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'm gonna go out for a little while. There's someone I need to talk to. Will you be okay here, or do you want to wait at the clubhouse?"
"I'll wait here. I can watch TV or something." There was no way she was going back to the clubhouse. Those guys were scary.
~ oOo ~
The chop shop was situated just outside of Bay View. Joe passed the crates to where Vince and Barney were stripping the engines ready for shipment. "Barney, man. You got a minute?"
"Sure." Barney followed his brother outside and joined him on a stack of pallets. "Problem?"
Joe looked out over the trees. "I'm gonna bring Maria's kid back to Seattle with me when I go. Kid's got some issues, needs to get away from Fillmore."
"Okay." Barney wasn't sure he was happy with the way this conversation was heading.
"Yeah. So I was thinking. It's about time she got to know who her father is."
"Oh. I'm guessing that you think it's me."
"No. I know it's you."
"Maria say something?"
"No."
"So how…”
"I might look stupid. But I got eyes. I know how you were sniffing round her when I was locked up. I always had my suspicions. Obviously I didn't want to believe that one of my best friends would be fucking my woman. But as the years went on, I couldn't kid myself anymore."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
Joe shrugged. "Ain't much you can say. If I had my way you'd never get to lay eyes on her. In fact you should be grateful that you're still breathing."
"So what's changed?"
"Amy has been asking about her real dad." He gave a short, humorless laugh. "Guess that means I can't kill you."
"Why didn't you? I betrayed you."
"Yes, you did. Don't think I didn't want to. Part of me still does." He shrugged. "I know technically Maria has never been my old lady, and you're my brother and I love you, but I will never forgive you for what you did."
"Yet you backed me when the prez wanted to strip me of my patch."
"I ain’t a vindictive man."
"So what happens now?"
"If she wants to meet you. You agree. But you will play no part in her life. You may have knocked her mom up, but she ain't your kid. She's mine."
"Okay."
He stood. "One more thing. You hurt her in any way. I will kill you."
Barney watched his brother and oldest friend as he walked away. He had always known that this moment would come. But he hadn't expected to be let off so lightly. He gave a rueful grin. It did explain, though, some of the beat-downs in the ring Tiny had given him in the past. He guessed that as far as he was concerned, keeping him away from Amy was punishment in itself. He knew his brother adored that kid and would never be able to fathom how anyone wouldn't want to be part of her life. He also knew he would never be able to forgive himself for betraying his best friend. The only justification he could offer was that he wasn't in his right mind at the time, and Maria had insisted her and Tiny were done. He believed that Tiny was a better man than him; he was sure if he was in the same position he wouldn't be so forgiving.
~ oOo ~
Beth drove through the streets of Bay View searching for the Freaks' clubhouse. Since Maria had returned to Cali, her sister had made a point of keeping tabs on Rob. Sometimes working for a law firm had its advantages, and she had used her contacts on the east coast to keep her in the loop.
His arrest hadn't really come as a surprise; he was bound to slip up sooner or later. Hearing that the DA wanted to talk to Amy regarding a further charge of grooming and possible sexual assault and that he had made bail was worrying. Beth decided that she needed to talk to Joe. It was time for someone to put a stop to that asshole once and for all, in the way that only he could do.
If only her heart would stop pounding and her mouth wasn't so dry. Giving herself a mental kick up the ass, she was there to talk to Joe about how to deal with Rob. Nothing else.
Joe strutted across the parking lot with Amy dragging her heels behind him. He felt bad for bringing her with him, but he couldn't keep leaving her at home and he was determined that she was going to do as she was told. Starting now.
Mac looked up. "Hey, Tiny. There's a real hot chick looking for you."
He frowned. "What chick?"
"Latina, tight little body, nice rack. Spike took her into the clubhouse."
"Beth, Shit." The last thing she needed was Spike pushing up on her. He stormed into the clubhouse. "Spike! Leave her alone."
Spike spun round, his face a picture of innocence. "I'll have you know I have been a complete gentleman. Ain’t that right darling?"
"Absolutely." Beth giggled and Joe felt something stir inside him. He wasn't jealous, but he really wasn't comfortable with the idea of Spike hitting on her. Beth was a classy lady, not the usual skanky whores that he went after.
Beth hugged her niece. "Hi, baby girl. It's so good to see you."
Amy returned the hug, surprised by this obvious show of affection. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you." Beth kissed her cheek. "Can you give me and Joe a few minutes? I promise as soon as I've spoken to him, we'll catch up."
With a sigh, Amy watched as her aunt and Joe wandered off into a quiet corner. Spike gave her shoulder a squeeze. "C'mon doll. Let's go and raid the kitchen. There's bound to be something edible in there." He led her into the kitchen, giving Joe and Beth some privacy. The kid didn't need to hear what they were going to discuss.
"Why you here, Beth?"
"Rob's been arrested. He had pictures of kids on his hard drive. Prosecution wants to talk to Amy."
"Okay. And how does that involve me?"
"He made bail. I've just got a bad feeling, Joe."
He nodded. "I should have put a stop to that fu
cker a long time ago." He gave a tight smile. "Oh, well. Better late than never. Looks like I've got a road trip out east coming up."
"Wouldn't it be better to fly? I can pay for a ticket."
"No. I don't want anything to put me in the area. I'll use a car, share the driving with someone. We can do it in a couple of days, three at the most."
"Okay. Joe, this is the right thing to do, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is."
TWENTY-TWO
Barney couldn't help wondering whether if this was a good idea. But as he threw his bag into the back of the van, he knew his wasn't in a position to refuse. He was Amy's father—biologically at least—and as such, had an obligation to accompany Joe across country to put an end to the asshole that had hurt his kid. However the thought of being trapped for at least the next five days with the man that had professed his desire to see him dead wasn't a prospect he relished. The only consolation was that Samson had agreed to travel with them. Hopefully the nomad president being there would stop the atmosphere from getting too uncomfortable.
The plan was to share the driving between them, and with a following wind, they should be in Miami in forty-eight hours. It wasn't going to be pleasant, in fact it was Barney's idea of hell, but despite no obvious link between him and his target, Joe was keen to fly under the radar. Barney couldn't argue with that. One of the reasons Joe was so good at what he did was that he never took unnecessary risks. He never wanted his actions to blow back on him or his loved ones.
Mac handed Tiny a printout of all the information he could find on the asshole. Joe still wasn't completely clear on how he was going to do this, but he figured that by the time he arrived in Miami he'd know what he was going to do. His first priority was to ensure that no matter what he did, it wouldn't blow back on Amy or Maria.
It had gone against his every instinct to leave that fucker alive when he'd first realized what he was doing. But it had been Beth who had persuaded him that it would be better for Amy and Jack if he was alive and paying child support. He felt his jaw clench. He should have known better than to let a chick sway him. Even one as smart as Beth.
He climbed into the driver's seat and waited for Barney and Samson to join him. "Okay brothers. Let's roll."
Beth glanced at her niece sitting in the passenger seat, chewing on her thumbnail. She knew Amy wasn't thrilled with the prospect of living with Joe in Seattle. She didn't want to be away from her friends, and she knew he wouldn't take any shit from her. "You do realize that Joe is insisting you move in with him because he thinks it's what best for you, right?"
"Joe don't know shit."
"He knows that if you carry on behaving the way you have been, you're going to end up getting arrested, or worse. I'm sure he'd rather not be saddled with a hormonal teenager with a bad attitude. But he loves you, Amy, and he will always do what he thinks is best for you."
"Sure, he does. That's why after less than a week he's disappearing and leaving me with you."
"He has shit that needs taking care of, and you need to get your stuff together and ready for your move. He'll be back in about a week and will pick you up from your mom's."
"I'm not going. He can't make me."
"You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."
Joe tried as best he could to wash himself with the tepid water that dribbled from the faucet in the frankly disgusting restroom at the back of the run-down gas station. They were only ten miles outside of Miami and, like his brothers and the inside of the van, he smelled bad. They had made good progress, only making the occasional stop for gas, to piss or to grab a coffee and some food. The mattress in the back had proven useful, and all three of them had managed to grab a few hours' sleep. He had felt bad asking this of his brothers, particularly Samson, who absolutely hated not being on his bike. But he needed them, and it was certainly right that Barney was there. It wouldn't kill him to man up and take responsibility for once.
~ oOo ~
"You!" Rob spun round, as Joe stepped through the door.
"Yep. How you doing, asshole? Not so good, I'm guessing." Joe grinned as he visibly paled and pressed his Glock against the smaller man's temple. "Well, lucky for you I'm giving you a way out."
"I…Are you going to kill me?"
"No, I'm gonna take you out for dinner and then maybe a movie. Of course I'm gonna kill you, fuckwit. However, because I am a compassionate man, I'm gonna make it quick and clean, and not slow and painful like I really want to." He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a bottle of vodka. "Here, drink."
"And if I refuse?"
"It will be all the more painful for you, and I get a bottle of vodka." Joe shrugged. "It's all the same to me. Either way you're going to die."
"I could run."
"Go right ahead. I suggest you use the back door. The guy guarding the front is Amy's father. He ain't much of a dad, but I'm sure he'll get huge pleasure from seeing you suffer. Of course, the guy guarding the back is a real psycho, big fucker, too. Probably kill you with his bare hands. Nope, all in all, I think I'm your best option."
Rob took a deep breath and grabbed the bottle. "I never touched her."
"And for that reason alone, you have survived as long as you have. Now drink."
He drank, gagging at the bitter taste. "What?"
Joe smiled. "Barbiturates. Now let's take a walk to the bathroom."
Staggering slightly, Rob complied.
Once in the bathroom, Joe started to fill the bath. "Now strip."
For a moment it looked like he wasn't going to do it, but the feel of the gun at his temple was enough for him to do as he was told.
Once naked, Joe looked him up and down and smirked. "I can see why Maria still wanted to fuck me. Now get in the bath."
"I.."
"Do you enjoy pain, shithead? Cuz I sure as fuck enjoy inflicting it. Now get in the fucking bath."
Rob hardly struggled as, using a rolled up towel to minimize bruising, Joe pushed him under the water.
Joe put the bottle containing the remaining pills into the medicine cabinet and dropped the vodka bottle into the bath water. On his way out he threw the towel into the washing machine, then hopped over the back fence to where his brothers were waiting in the van. Samson started the engine as Joe climbed into the passenger seat. "Done?"
Joe grinned. "Looks like the pressure got to him. Vodka, Barbs and a hot bath is a lethal combination."
~ oOo ~
It was three days before Rob's body was found. As far as the police were concerned, there were no suspicious circumstances. He was under suspicion for child abuse and it looked he'd taken the easy way out. There was no sign of forced entry, and no one remembered the anonymous black van parked out the back. By the time Rob's corpse was being wheeled out of his house, Samson was back on his beloved bike, Barney was headed for Seattle and Joe was loading Amy's stuff onto the back of a van, telling himself that it wasn't cruel to the prospect to expect him to spend the day trapped with her and her attitude.
Beth couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face and Joe scowled. "You're loving this, ain't you?"
"It was your idea."
She laughed. "I just can't wait to see badass Tiny Taylor brought to his knees by a mere slip of a girl."
"I ain’t scared."
She kissed him on the cheek. "Course you're not."
He gently pushed her hair away from her face. "Maybe you should come up to Seattle and help me out."
"Maybe I will."
As he rode along the freeway, checking his mirrors for the van containing a very harassed-looking prospect and an incredibly moody Amy, Joe's mind drifted towards Beth and her soft lips against his cheek. He had known her since she was a baby and had never looked at her as anything other than his kid sister, but recently he had started to see her differently. He still believed she was too good for the likes of him, but he found himself wanting her. She was clever, compassionate and, he was starting to realize, hot. Shit. He was such
an idiot. All those years he spent bewitched by Maria's charm, when the real beauty was right under his nose all along.
TWENTY-THREE
"Fuck my life." Amy collapsed on the bed with a sigh. She hated it here. Unlike Fillmore, Seattle was cold and boring, and the sprawling school they had visited was huge and intimidating. Then there was Joe's apartment. She doubted she'd ever seen anywhere less homey. The shelves were devoid of any ornaments and no pictures decorated his walls He had what he needed, nothing else.
Why the fuck couldn't he butt out of her life? All she wanted was to hang out with her friends and to be left alone, but, no, for the first time in her life he decided to take a proactive role in her upbringing.
She had been there for less than a month, and all they'd done was fight. No, fight was the wrong word. No matter how much she yelled, or slammed doors, or threw stuff, he remained implacable. She would go to school every day, would do her homework, she wasn't going out on a school night unless she was with him and she wasn't getting her cell phone back until he decided she'd been punished enough for stealing his cigarettes. He didn't nag like her mom. If she didn't pick up after herself, he would just gather the stuff off the floor and throw it in the trash. Shit, at this rate she'd soon be running around naked. She closed her eyes. If she was going to win this battle of wills, she was going to have to try a different approach. She had two days before she was due to start at her new school and she was determined that wasn't going to happen. Ha! By the time she'd finished with him he would be desperate to get her back to California.
Tiny Taylor was tough, everybody knew that. He was the guy you wanted to have your back when you went to war. Whether it was a fistfight or an out and out gun battle, he never shied away. He was forty-three years old and had been shot, stabbed and beaten. He wasn't afraid of pain, wasn't afraid to die. So why was he sitting on his bike outside his apartment block, freezing his balls off, too scared to go inside and face a skinny teenager who probably didn't have the strength to fight her way out of a paper bag.
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