Part 14 (1/2)

”I hear boys are terrible about accidents. Lord knows I've seen enough broken arms, and noses for a lifetime.” She said, taking a seat on one side of the leather booth.

”Yeah, we've already had st.i.tches twice now. The first time he cut his chin while trying to climb the chain link fence in the backyard. The second time was when he tried to jump off the dock, but didn't jump far enough and caught his backside on the dock's edge.” I explained.

Both of those times had absolutely freaked me the f.u.c.k out. I could deal with blood, guts, gore, fire, and dismemberment all day long with anyone that wasn't my son. That time, though, I'd nearly pa.s.sed out over a minuscule amount of blood.

The waiter arrived taking our drink orders, as well as our food orders, and we spent the minutes waiting for our drinks to arrive in a companionable silence.

Baylee's next statement surprised me. Not that I hadn't been expecting it, more so that I wasn't quite sure what to tell her, even after weeks of contemplating this very scenario.

”Will you tell me about your MC?” She asked, eyeing my cut.

My hands steepled out in front of me, and I regarded her before answering.

”The Dixie Wardens MC was founded in 1970. My father entered the MC at its lowest point. There was infighting, drugs, and all kinds of illegal s.h.i.+t going on when I first prospected. After my father became president of the MC, he stopped the illegal s.h.i.+t cold turkey. The other chapters had already turned their s.h.i.+t around, but our chapter was the founding chapter, and the last one with founding members. Once dad took over, all of our money came through hard work, and nothing that was illegal.”

Baylee looked enraptured throughout my explanation, leaning forward more and more, listening intently as I explained.

”So you're the VP?” She asked, pointing towards the patch under my club name.

”Yeah, not because my pop is the president either. Because I busted my b.a.l.l.s to get where I am.” I muttered, taking a sip of my beer when the waiter set it down in front of me.

The brew was perfect. Dark, cold and bitter, just like I liked it.

”What does s.h.i.+va mean?” She asked, pointing to my name patch.

I smiled, remembering when I'd gotten the name. ”My brothers, JR, h.e.l.l, and Deuce went through boot camp and then firefighter school with me. We were in the training program, and I was the only one without a nickname by the end of it. Anyway, the whole f.u.c.king unit somehow found out my middle name, and I got s.h.i.+t about that for the last month of the school.”

Taking another sip of beer, I continued.

”Anyway, I'm not really sure what the h.e.l.l happened, but I just lost it one night, tired of catching s.h.i.+t from everyone. We were out at a bar on a rare night off, and a couple of Flyboys came in looking for a fight, and me being the perpetual state of annoyed, decided to give them one. Never heard another word about my middle name, and earned myself a nickname. s.h.i.+va. They said I was a G.o.d of Destruction. JR was a mythological nut, and decided I needed to be named that.”

I could see the wheels turning in her head, and I wondered how long it'd take her to ask what my middle name was.

It didn't take long.

”What's your middle name?” She asked about two seconds later.

I smiled. ”Sue.”

”I'd heard you being called that at the party, but I honestly thought that it was a joke.” She said.

I was being 100% serious, unfortunately.

Then she blinked rapidly, and promptly burst out laughing. ”Why?”

I shrugged. ”My pops has a man crush on Johnny Cash.”

Baylee snickered. ”Seems you do too, naming your son Johnny.” She observed.

I shrugged again. ”Had to carry on the tradition and all.”

”Well isn't this sweet. Not to interrupt or anything, but you forgot this earlier.” A spiteful voice said from the edge of out booth.

I looked up and nearly groaned. d.a.m.n, how had I missed her walking up to me? f.u.c.k, I must be getting soft.

My hand raised just in time to catch the quarter being thrown directly at my face. ”Jesus Christ, Mary. I f.u.c.king told you I'd never go. Why are you being such a f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h?” I snarled.

”I know you were there. Who else comes to visit them on these days besides you? You're the only one left. Or did you forget that part?” She snarled right back.

I raised my hand and rubbed my chest, right where my aching heart lay beneath. ”I made you a promise. I didn't visit his grave.”

I didn't tell her that it was Baylee who'd done it for me. That would just be opening that huge can of proverbial worms.

Baylee cleared her throat, drawing both of their attentions.

Mary's head snapped around and she glared at Baylee for interrupting. ”Who're you?”

”She's mine.” I declared.

”Of course she is. You always liked them on the s.l.u.tty side of curvy, didn't you?” She scoffed.

”That's enough, Mary. I think you need to go back to work and leave us be.” I ordered glaring at the woman I'd once called a friend.

I hadn't been able to admit it all those years ago, but the woman was a big b.i.t.c.h. At first, I'd just thought it was because Mary had been grieving, but as each subsequent year pa.s.sed, and Mary continued to act like this, I couldn't allow her those feelings anymore. h.e.l.l, the woman was even married again.

”He wasn't complaining about my curves this morning.” Baylee smiled, pressing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s together for emphasis.

Hard doesn't even begin to describe my d.i.c.k when Baylee said that just then. This morning had been on my list of fantasies since first meeting the woman in her bra and bike shorts, while I was taking a p.i.s.s.

Reaching down, I adjusted my d.i.c.k in my pants underneath the table. Baylee caught the movement and laughed. Mary caught the movement and snarled before leaving. Her stale perfume following in her wake.

”What the h.e.l.l was that about?” Baylee asked.

”Mitch.e.l.l Ryan Reed, a.k.a. h.e.l.l, was a h.e.l.l of a man, which was where he got his name. When I first got to the town where boot camp was being held, Mary and I had a one-night stand, and I left the next day without a backwards glance. I was 18 and going into the Marines the next day. I didn't need those type of attachments.”

I hid my grin at seeing the silent snarl on Baylee's face. When she made the 'keep going' gesture with her finger, I continued.

”Anyway, six months down the road, h.e.l.l tells me he found the most awesome woman in the world, and he was getting married. Low and behold, it's Mary. We both acted like we didn't know each other, but I told him I'd slept with her the very day he introduced her to us. Then we were deployed, and she became the type of woman that would whine and cry every time he spoke to her. Write him sob letters about how lonely she was. Each and every time. It never stopped. Then, when he died, she blamed me because I survived, and her husband didn't. Been that way ever since.” I finished.

”Wow,” She said hesitantly.

”Couldn't agree more.” I nodded.

The waiter brought Baylee's Chicken Critters and my 72-ounce sirloin shortly after, and I'd just taken my first bite when what she said made me choke.

”At least what you do isn't illegal. I was really worried that your MC was a bunch of criminals who did bad things. It makes me feel better that you work in the confines of the law. It'll help me get Luke off my back, at least.”