Whistler got out of the truck and decided Morgana should check out his hand. It hurt like a motherfucker and it was a good excuse not to have to help True. True and his damn horses. When he was in jail who had to come check on them until he found a hired stable hand? He had to do it. He didn’t even like the damn animals. And now True was going to get cows and bulls? True was crazy, there was no doubt about it.
*~*
Marianne called her sister and asked her to pick her up at the mall. Hazel didn’t ask questions. The less she was involved with the better.
Marianne would have Hazel take her back to the motel and get the jeep. She’d even give her the keys to give Whistler and not tell her a damn thing about where she was working. She would save Hazie from as much backlash from Whistler as she could. Hazel had done enough for her and she knew her sister was eying up a new biker that had just moved into Whispering Pines. Marianne was out of the car, leaning against the trunk, she waved as she saw her sister’s car and Hazel pulled next to her.
Hazel looked around as she idled the car. Marianne was already getting into the car and Hazel hoped she knew what she was doing.
“I need a ride to the motel and I left the car open. I hope nobody steals anything out of it. I’m giving you the keys and you tell Whistler that you don’t know a thing. We’ll be fine and I’ll handle him and True. Tell him I met you at the mall and gave you the keys and walked away. Okay?” Marianne looked fine and almost happy sounding.
“You’re crazy, you always have been, but I’ll do it. Just don’t ask me to help you anymore. Thankfully I had a car seat! I hope you know what you’re doing Mari, those men can be mean motherfuckers.” Hazel pushed her sunglasses down and stared at her sister. She drove to the motel as fast as she could.
“I do and it’s all good. If you’d just wait here for a few minutes, I could get our stuff out of the car faster. Michael will slow me down. Just pull over to the side of the building. Please Hazel, I really have everything well thought out.” Marianne had a determined look on her face her sister hadn’t seen in a long time.
Hazel huffed, “Hurry up. I don’t want to know a damn thing so get moving.” After Marianne got out of the car she didn’t even look at where she went, as she tried to hide her car from nosy eyes.
*~*
Marianne hurried to the jeep and took off out of the parking lot and headed to the mall. It was easy to transfer the bags she had tossed into the car, she got the car seat and stopped only long enough to get food and milk for the night. She was on the outskirts of Whispering Pines and from now on she’d shop in Green Point. She felt good, a little nervous but she wasn’t going to give up Michael. She would show everyone that she was able to support them and she knew a few dirty secrets about Satan’s Fools MC herself. If the Norths didn’t back off her, she could play dirty too. She pulled into the motel parking lot and looked for her sister’s car. It took a few minutes since she had hidden it well. She parked, got Michael and gave the keys to Hazel.
“I won’t use my cell phone. As a matter of fact, you can take it, I have everything stored on my laptop. Whistler had no idea I had one so he can’t have traced it. Just say I met you at the mall and that he forced me to do this and give him his stuff. I won’t be asking for support since I took his money. Maybe when it runs out I will. It’s dirty money so tell him, I said that.” With Michael on her hip, she leaned into Hazie’s car and kissed her cheek. “I’m going to be really busy but I’ll have a new cell phone soon. When I do call you, it will be from a blocked number. I don’t want you to have my number right away.”
Hazel glared at her. “I really hope you know what you’re doing.” She didn’t wait for Marianne to answer, she wanted to get the hell home. She had a bad feeling Whistler would be seeing her tonight and it wouldn’t be pleasant but she wouldn’t give up her sister. One thing she planned to do was give up playing games with Whistler. A certain six-foot-two biker, with a growly voice, dimples, broad shoulders, and a fine body topped with piercing green eyes named Rover had caught her attention. She had caught his too but because of Whistler he hadn’t said much to her. He also hadn’t touched any of the club sluts.
Chapter Ten
Whistler walked into the clubhouse with a frown on his face. His hand hurt badly but he needed to speak to Hazel alone. She was working behind the bar by herself but he noticed Rover hanging around her again. He wondered if Hazie was interested in him. It hadn’t been fair to involve her but she didn’t want any of the bikers hassling her and pretending they’d had a thing for each other had worked well for both of them. He noticed Rover move away and he saw the look of longing Hazel gave him. Hazel silently slid a bottle of beer toward Whistler. She knew what he drank and Whistler rarely changed his habits.
“I’ll take a shot of JD with that beer, Hazie. I have a few questions for you.” He looked at her seriously as she quietly poured him the shot.
She didn’t answer him, just reached for her pocketbook under the bar and removed his car keys and Marianne’s cell phone. She placed them on the bar and looked at him with little expression on her face.
Whistler downed the shot and took the keys and cell phone and pocketed them. “So you saw her?”
“I did and your car is at the mall. I don’t know where she went and I don’t want to know either. She said she doesn’t want support money since she took your dirty money. Marianne has changed a lot and I think you should leave her alone.” Her voice was low and she stared him dead in the face.
“It doesn’t work like that; she has my son. You don’t think I will let her keep him, do you? Be smart and tell me where they are, Hazel.” Whistler had an ugly look on his face.
“You can look all pissed off at me, Whistler, I don’t know! I’m done with all the games you and Marianne play. True too. I don’t need this crap. I’m done with you. Stay away from me. I don’t need you in my life. Get the fuck away from me.” Her voice rose and the nearby bikers heard her clearly. She moved away from Whistler and left him sitting alone with his beer.
Rover motioned Hazie over for a beer. “You’re done with him for good?”
Hazel looked at Whistler, “We were nothing more than friends really. I didn’t want to be bothered by any of these bikers.” She waved her hand at the motley crew of bikers drinking beer. “Whistler kept them away from me as a favor to my sister and me.”
Rover smiled widely. “When you get off, do you wanna go to the diner?”
“Yes I do; I don’t think I want to be alone tonight.” She smiled right back at him.
Both watched as Whistler tossed a few bills on the bar and left. He let the door slam on his way out. Nobody noticed or gave it much thought but Rover and Hazel.
Rover commented, “He’s sure acting like a crooked cunt, do you know why?”
Hazel shook her head, “I stay outta his business, guess he has issues of some kind but not about me.” She laughed softly. “Crooked cunt? Never heard that one before, but it does fit Whistler’s mood.”
*~*
Marianne looked at the box of hair dye and thought of how much Whistler loved her blonde hair, more the reason to add the rich violet burgundy color to half of her hair. She wanted a change and maybe she wouldn’t be as noticed if she didn’t look like herself. It might work and it was sure to piss him off. Pissing him off had now become a game for her. She got to work on her hair and hoped it came out the way she planned. May as well cut a lot of it off too. Once cut it would be wavier. Change was good and she surely needed to change herself. Her mother would have advised her to wash that man right out of her hair but she was going to dye him out. Once her hair was dry, she looked into the mirror and loved what she saw. She didn’t look like the old Marianne at all. Instead she looked like a confident new woman who knew where she was going in life. She cleaned up the mess in the bathroom and got into her new bed. Tomorrow was a fresh start and she was actually looking forward to her new job. She shut her eyes and didn’t think about Whistler for the first
time since their fight.
*~*
Whistler drove home to an empty house. Trick had gone home and had been demoted to prospect status. He was hungry and found a few slices of pizza in the fridge. He grabbed a beer and ate the slices cold. Marianne and his son were on his mind. He knew she would take care of Michael as long she had money but when that ran out, he wasn’t sure what she’d do. Probably come crawling back to him. He chewed slowly, thinking about sticking her in the cell but too many people would argue with him.
He missed her but he was angry she hadn’t obeyed him. In the beginning, she’d been wild but he had calmed that part of her down, or so he had thought. Marianne had been like forbidden fruit to him. He cursed aloud and moved into the living room and sat on the couch. He kicked off his boots and grabbed the remote. There probably wasn’t anything he wanted to watch on the television but he didn’t know what else to do. He’d have stayed at the clubhouse but it was obvious Rover and Hazie were starting up a relationship and he wasn’t in the mood to see lovey dovey bullshit. Or True would have come in with Nicola.
Seeing other couples happy wasn’t something he could stomach right now. Raven had Morgana, and now he had nobody. It irked him badly that he was missing his family. He had tried to be with them as much as he could and that hadn’t been enough. He had to find the right words to explain this mess to True. Remote in his hand, he fell asleep. Marianne and Michael’s faces haunted him. He didn’t know how long he slept before waking with a sore neck. He got up and headed to his lonely bed. Marianne would pay for taking Michael from him, one way or another.
*~*
Raven and True were on their way back to Whispering Pines after meeting up with the Black Rebel Riders MC who sold them moonshine. It would be delivered within a few days but they had been sipping some on the way home. It was smooth and tasted like liquid apple pie.
True was feeling pretty good when he asked his SAA the question Raven didn’t want to answer.
“What’s up with my brother and Marianne? I never got a letter or a visit from her. Seemed odd to me that she left. I come home and nothing from her in this long, something is up.”
Raven didn’t look at his president. He thought about how he was going to answer True. He didn’t want to break his promise to Whistler but he wouldn’t lie to True.
“You oughta be asking your brother and not me. I try not to get between you and Whistler. I never bought that story you and Marianne were serious about each other either. You didn’t look involved with her. None of the closeness showed like it does with Morgana and me. We can’t keep our hands off each other. Hand me that bottle.”
True handed him the bottle and took it back when Raven was done. “You telling me to straight out ask Whistler why she left? Or is there more to this?”
“Much more to it, True. But I gave my word to Whistler and I don’t want to break that. I don’t see what is so hot about Marianne that you’d fight over her either. When you’re with Nicola, you look at her differently and your eyes follow her everywhere.” Raven hoped that he’d said enough and was able to get True to talk about Nicola.
“I feel good when I’m with her. Lana acted all disgusted with me over the age difference. Nicola is cool, we have a lot of fun together. I could settle down with her and maybe I should, I was her first. The only thing that bothers me is that she won’t tell me who her son’s father is. Not like I can ask Mousey. Hell, I don’t even know how he feels about me being with her.” He sipped from the bottle again, there was barely anything left in it. “Yeah. I could see us together on my farm. You gotta problem with her age?”
Raven replied, “Why would I? Ain’t my dick she’s sucking or fucking. If you make each other happy, who the hell cares about age? Mousey brought that girl up right. You should settle down with her.”
True thought about it. “I got Caesar coming here and I gotta find him a place to stay. I should be doing that before anything else. I’ve got no idea why the hell he wants to stay in Whispering Pines either. Everything is all good with the chapter. You hear anything about him, I wanna know.”
“I’ll put some feelers out on it. You going home or to the clubhouse?” Raven wanted to head home, he missed Morgana, he’d been gone for a few days.
“Home, bro. I got Nicola and the rug rat waiting there for me. I hope he’s asleep. I thought we’d be back faster but if I’m gonna settle down with Nicola, she’d better get used to me being late. Guess she’d rather stay at my house then be at Mousey’s. She likes my horses and animals. She won’t talk about the last few years, just gets all jittery and shit. I don’t know what the fuck to think.” He tossed the empty bottle out of the window.
“She grew up with Mousey, you think she doesn’t know all about what life with you would be like?” Raven glanced over at True but he seemed to be deep in thought.
“Raven, you need to find Marianne, Caesar is going to want a chick when he gets out, and it ain’t gonna be Nicola. Marianne is just his type.”
“True, you’re gonna have to get somebody else. We planned to tell you all together, so act surprised when Morgana says she is pregnant. I won’t be going far from her this time. I lost out on a lot with Hawk so I’m sticking as close to home as I can. I ain’t chasing Marianne and I think you’d best find some other chick for Caesar.” Raven kept his voice hard so True wouldn’t argue with him, his lips tightened firmly and he said nothing else.
True whistled, “Another kid so fast? You two aren’t wasting anytime, are you?”
“Morgana says her biological clock is ticking and wants a few more kids. I kinda like having them too. What makes my wife happy, makes me happy. So, you need to reach out to Caesar’s chapter and find out what the man wants as far as a house and all that shit. Maybe he has an ol’ lady. I’d tell you to push it on Whistler but there’s no point, his head is up his ass.”
True thought about that and finally answered Raven. “Even as a kid he wouldn’t talk unless he wanted too. I guess I’ll be seeing him tomorrow. Maybe if I’m alone with him, he’ll tell me. I’ll make the other calls. You can drop me off at the driveway, I’ll walk in, I need some fresh air to clear my head.”
Neither spoke the rest of the way to True’s farm and Raven left him off at the driveway.
True got out and stopped before shutting the truck door, “Thanks, bro. I’m looking to replace Trick and I’ll keep you as close to home as I can.”
“I appreciate it, True. Morgana would just be bitching at you anyway.”
Both men laughed and Raven sat in the truck and watched as True walked up his driveway. Once True flicked the porch light on and off, he drove home to Morgana and their son Hawk.
Chapter Eleven
True woke up to his cell phone blasting in his ear. Nicola’s son Alex must have put it next to his head. He grabbed it and mumbled a yeah into it. Shortly after hearing who was on the other end he sat up, fully awake. It was Ram, the national president of Satan’s Fools MC.
“Yeah, I’m awake now. I got the message but I don’t have a place for him yet, I don’t know what he wants.” True grumbled. “Ram, I understand you want him safe and he can stay here at my farm. I’m not sure Caesar will like it though.”
Ram replied, “I’m sending his bikes, I’ve got a brand new luxury motor coach on its way up to your place. His corvette is coming and I’ll be sending another trailer for two of his closest SAA’s. I hope you can hook ‘em up with electric. We got a good deal and until Caesar wants to come back here, he’ll love living in this motor coach. Solves your problem easily, doesn’t it?”
True wasn’t sure how to reply to the national president of Satan’s Fools MC. “I got hook ups here. You really think he won’t want a house or a condo?”
Ram chuckled, “You ain’t seen this True, it’s loaded and stocked. It is top of the line and hell I’d live in it. It’s only until he decides what he wants to do. You do know he has a thing for your sister, the doctor?”
It felt as if the ai
r was punched out of True’s lungs. “My sister, Lana? I don’t think that is a good idea, Ram. Lana, she has some issues. Not a good idea, Pres.” He protested weakly.
“True, don’t stick your nose in this. Caesar has been talking with her for five years. He likes her, a lot. So, I expect you to cooperate fully while Caesar sees where this goes. He’s been in for five years and he’s changed. He isn’t the same man he was. He wants to settle down now. Your sister made quite an impression on my vice president.” Ram’s voice got hard and True swallowed what he was going to say next and tried to rephrase his words.
“Lana isn’t like other women; I don’t know if she’s interested in him. I’ll do my best to make sure Caesar gets whatever he wants. I’ll get a few guys up here to grade the areas I’ve got hook ups at. You got any idea when he’s gonna be here?” True rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he contemplated all of this.
“It’s taken care of just make sure Lana is around, and what’s this shit Caesar saying her face was busted up?” Ram asked.
Things couldn’t have gotten worse as far as True was concerned. “I handled it, Trick smacked her and he’s back to prospecting. Raven and Whistler took care of him.” True didn’t know how Ram had found out so fast.
Ram was silent for a few seconds. “Caesar ain’t gonna be happy with Trick. Keep them far apart and True, ya understand that Caesar is very close to me? He saved my life, I’d do anything for the man. Understand?”
“Got it, I’ve got to move my ass, Ram. I’ll let ya know how things go. Later, man.” True hung up and stared at the ceiling.
Nicola walked into the bedroom with a smile on her face, “Breakfast is on the table, babe.”
True looked at her, breakfast wasn’t on his mind looking at her cutoff shorts and skimpy top. Alex toddled behind her wiping all his dirty thoughts from his mind. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, gotta get dressed.” He pointed to Alex and Nicola picked up her son and smiled at True over his head.
Thirsty (Satan's Fools MC Book 2) Page 6