All In: ALL IN KNIGHTS OF MAYHEM (17 page)

“Okay glad we had this little meeting, Dad are you staying with Aunt Shirley?” I attempt at breaking the stale mate between the two.

“I am.” He answers never taking his eyes from Leo. Leo encircles my waist again dragging me into him. My Dad snorts his displeasure with the gesture.

“Would you like to stay for dinner Kent?” Leo offers and I nearly choke on my spit.

“No thank you, I have plans for this evening but I will be in town for a week or so. I will contact you and we will set up a time.” He stands and looks at me, ‘please be more careful Avery Grace?” He hugs me.

“
No need to worry about Avery Grace here Mr. Delany,” Leo has his arm around my shoulder and gives it a squeeze, ‘she isn’t going back to that shithole of a job.” Leo takes his glance from me and lands it on my father.

“I am not sure if that is supposed to be comforting or not,‘ Dad turns and heads for the door, ‘are these your friends Leo?”
He stands and surveys all the bikes and people that are somewhat a rough looking bunch.

“
Yes they are, good people too, you would know that if you got to know them.” The pit in my stomach continues to grow at a rapid pace.

“Dad I will call you tomorrow and we can meet for lunch, does that sound good?” I
go over to him walking into his arms.

“Sounds like a plan,’ his eyes shift up from me and back to Leo, ‘will we be dining alone?”

“Probably not.” Leo has shoved his hands down into the pockets of his worn jeans, had it been any other time I would have to wipe the drool from my lips. I have started to feel like a ping pong ball on a table being slapped back and forth with paddles.

“I will walk you to your car Dad.” I try and urge him out the door. Leo kisses me on the forehead and lets me go.

Reaching his hand out to my father, ‘Nice to meet you Mr. Delany. I look forward to seeing you again, soon.”

Taking Leo’s hand my father gives it a stiff shake, ‘me to Leo, me to.” Dad follows me to the door and out across the porch and out to his car. Stopping at the driver side he turns to me, ‘Avery baby do you know what you have gotten into?”

Sighing, ‘yes Dad I do and I am fine.” Crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the side.

He pushes a strained of hair away from my face, ‘you look fine,’ he tilts his head back at the house, ‘and he doesn’t look much better. I notice two other of his boys look a little worse for wear too.”

Pulling my face away from his hand, ‘Dad please just leave it.”

“Avery I can’t leave it alone, you are my daughter and I worry about you.”

“There is no need for you to worry,’ I sweep my arm around the grounds at all the people littering the area, ‘I think the safety issue is pretty much so covered.”

“A
re you doing this to punish me?” The arrogance of this man is not surprising.

“I assure you father
not one of my actions is intended to punish you, not everything has to do with you or is about you.” I go to step away from his car, ‘I am an adult and will go wherever, stay with and see anyone I please. I no longer need to ask your permission or clear my actions with you.”

His face is flush with anger, ‘T
hat is fine Avery but I think you are letting your raw emotions blind you to the truth.”

“The truth about what or more about who?” I prop my hands on my hips.

Shaking his head dismissing the conversation, ‘never mind that now, I just want for you to be careful okay?” He leans in and kisses my forehead before climbing into his car and driving away.

Completely exhausted from having to deal with my father I drag ass back up to the porch and lift my eyes to see a welcome site, Leo has come outside and is sitting on the top step. He reaches his hand out to me and I take the vacant spot to his left.

Leo tucks me into his side, ‘rough man uh?” His mood is light and easy, and I don’t understand why he just had a DEA agent in his house. You would think with all his activities he would be freaking out just like me.

“He is a DEA agent Leo, he is on his way right now to blow up my Aunt’s computer and phone trying to find things out about you and your band of merry men.”

“Not worried about it, are you?” He turns to me.

“Hell
yes I am worried about it.” Turning to him I am surprised by his nonchalance.

“Why would you be?” He has leaned back on his forearms resting on the edge of the porch stretching his long legs out in front of us.

“Because,’ I try not to talk to loud so the prying eyes and ears of the people around us can't hear, ‘after your half confession last night I am wondering if the other end of the story didn’t end with you in jail somewhere.” I lay my head on my hands propping them up on my knees.

“If it makes you feel any better it didn’t.” He bumps me with his knee, ‘now were we not interrupted on our way to do something?” His e
yes have gone deviously black, ‘if you are feeling up to it, of course.” His eyes shift down to between my legs and then back up.

“I am guessing I need to go and see a doctor.” I look down as I nudge the wood of the step with my foot.

“If you want I will have Alice make you an appointment.” He goes to stand.

I take his arm quickly, ‘no Leo I can take care of
it.”

The rest of the day Piper and me with a bunch of cool women shuffle food in and out of the kitchen, going around and cleaning up after the men as they sit and wait for someone to show.

Around nine everyone had left to gone home leaving only a few to keep watch over the occupants in the house, namely me. The silence is defining.

I am standing in the state of the art kitchen placing the last of the glasses into the dishwasher when I feel a hard body behind me. Leo places his hands on my hip and leans in to whisper in my ear, ‘hey baby how you holding up?”

“I feel really good right now,’ I turn around to face him, ‘your friends are wonderful. I think Kayla is my favorite.”

His eyes light up, ‘I knew
she would be she reminds me a lot of you.”

“Really?”
I lean to raise the door closing it and locking it into place before turning it on.

“Yeah, you ready for bed I am spent babe?” He rests his forehead on mine.

I pat his shoulder, ‘no you go on up and I will be up in a few, just let me finish down here.” I kiss his nose and give him a weak smile.

“I can help if you want.” His eyes are
soft and I am sure that he wasn’t far from climbing up on the counter and taking me right there in his kitchen had it been long enough to accommodate his large body.

“No I got this.” He gives me a hard squeeze and kisses me softly on the lips.

“Don’t be long.” He steps back and starts to the stairs.

“
Oh Leo.” I throw up my hand to stop him.

He turns, ‘yeah babe?”

“I have an appointment in the morning to see the doctor.” I wring the dish towel in my hands.

“
Great, I will have to send Beeker with you though, no going out alone and all.” His eyebrows go up letting me know it is a side effect of the past three days.

“
Sure he is a good kid.” I smile.

He sighs heavy, ‘I think that little fucker is sweet on you.”
He chuckles as he takes the steps two at a time.

****

Leo

I use these minutes alone
while Avery finishes to call Kent, ‘hey what was that shit, you could have outed all of us.”

“I am sure you have briefed them all
, they are not to let on we know each other.” He sighs heavily with the load we are all carrying, being this deceptive is weighing heavy on the whole crew.

“They do but it doesn’t mean someone might slip up or something.” I throw my jeans into the growing dirty laundry pile
, damn I need to do the wash.

“Plus I was a little on the worried side about my daughter, I thought you said you had broke things off with her?”

“I thought I had too,’ I pause slumping down on the side of the bed, ‘but I couldn’t stay away, I guess you know how it is.”

“Look Leo I need to know you can handle keeping her safe from here on out until we get this shit locked down.
”

‘I have got Beeker with her until whenever. Listen I have been thinking and maybe we should go ahead and tell her everything
. And man, she really does know what you do.” The knot in my gut is twisting tight at the thought of letting our little secret loose and then the thought of her reacting how I am guessing she is going to.

“Not just yet, let’s wait and see how she
does being kept on house arrest,’ he sighs, ‘I knew she had a slight clue.”

“Easy for you to say old man I am the one having to deal with her.”

He chuckles, ‘I know, I am excited to see you handle this.”

I snap the phone shut and lie back on the bed staring up at the ceiling, closing my eyes I hear her soft foot falls coming up the steps. The bed dips slightly as she climbs in next to me, tugging her into my arms I send another round of thanks up to whomever for having her here with me.

****

Avery

I change into my tee shirt but this time I leave on my panties, not wanting to tempt Leo in anyway. I climb in next to him as he drags me into his side and tucks me under his arm. His breathing steadies and I watch his chest move under the soft light he has left on in the bathroom for me. I lay my hand palm down on his chest and say a silent prayer my father doesn’t find anything incriminating against Leo Tucker.

I wake up in what can only be heaven on earth, wrapped up in the arms of a man
, I sigh realizing I am finding it hard to think about without going all gushy. His breathing is even but I am in a vice grip and cannot move from his side.

We snuggle for a few minutes then Leo is up and in the shower, getting ready for the day, ‘sorry I can’t go with you today.” He sits down on the bed as he puts on his boots, ‘gotta work and make a livin’” he leans back into me and pulls me up to my knees as he stands, ‘but I will be waiting for you to call me after you see the doc, okay?”

I smile, ‘just as soon as I walk out I promise.”

He kisses me as we w
alk down the steps to the waiting eyes of Piper, Dalton and Roman.

“Morning
, model couple,’ Piper chirps with a shit eating grin spread across her face.

“Morning Piper,’
Leo grunts as he steps off the last step tugging me close behind him. He makes us coffee and we all five sit at the island in the kitchen. Around eight the boys leave for work but not before Leo plants a deep passionate kiss on me right in the view of Roman.

He smiles over his shoulder at a very disgruntled Roman
, ‘ready man.” He pats my ass as he leaves for good measure. I am starting to love it when he does it, because he seems to do it a lot.

****

Beeker drove me to the doctors and waited patiently out in the lobby. I sit on the uncomfortable examining table for what seemed like hours before the doctor entered.

I was thankful
for a woman, I don’t think I could take a strange man poking or prodding me at the moment. The news was good, no permanent damage and the great news I should be healed in around two days.

“I am going to want you
to come back in two to three weeks for a follow up examine, okay Avery, do you have any questions?”

I pause and twiddle my fingers study the ceiling, ‘um doc I was just wondering-“ I pause again embarrassed to ask the question.

“When will it be okay for you to have sex again?”

“
Yes thank god I couldn’t get it out, I have a boyfriend with a very, should we say, needy sex life.”

She laughs, ‘Avery nothing to be
embarrassed about, I would say if you take it easy until Thursday you should be fine, but go slow and be careful. Is there anything else, oh do you need any birth control?”

Jumping
down from the table, ‘yeah, in all the chaos my pills have gotten lost in the fray, thank you again.” I walk out of the door prescription in hand to see most of the women in the lobby eyeing Beeker curiously. His tattoos contrasting with his baby face and kind blue eyes are an anomaly. Beeker comes to stand behind me as I make another appointment in four weeks.

I turn to him, ‘ready?” I ask with a smile on my face.

“Yes please get me out of here and away from all these pregnant woman.” He whispers not wanting any of his new admirers to hear him. Laughing I open the door and take out my phone to call Leo.

“
Hey babe,’ His low voice sends chills to all the right places.

“
Hey.” My insides turn to mush and it is evident in my voice.

“Everything
go okay?” I hear a scuffle in the back ground.

“Yeah, what is going on?”

“Not much, just these dumbasses working for me, so the doc said you will be fine?” I hear a muffled grunt.

“She did but she wants to see me again in a month to check things out again. “

“Good, good have Beeker bring you back here instead of the house, everyone is here.”

“Where is Piper?”

“She is at Daltons.”

“And where is that?”

“Babe can we talk when you get here I have to go out here and man the children.”

“Okay see you in a few.” I disconnect the call and follow Beeker to the vehicle.

When we are well on our way back to the shop I call Piper.

“H
ey slut,’ She greets me with her usual salutation for me.

“Hey whore
, what up?”

“Not much
, just sitting her by the pool.” I hear a liquid flowing through a straw.

“Pool?”

“At Dalton’s apartment complex, hell if you weren’t under house arrest I would invite you over but we know that alpha male of yours isn’t going to let you out of his sight.” I hear the slurping again.

“I was this morning, Beeker was the one who took me to the doctor.” I hold my hand over the phone and look over at Beeker, ‘I don’t guess I could get you to take me to Daltons could I?”

I am met by an adamant, ‘no!,” from Beeker.

“Sorry
Pipe no can do, Beeker is under strict orders to get me to Leo.”

“See I told you, that boy has got it b-a-d!”

“No he doesn’t I am just a piece of ass.” I hear Beeker snort at the statement in unison with Piper, ‘What?’ I ask both of them. Beeker just shakes his head prompting me to remind myself later to ask him a bunch of questions.

“Anyway I will see you later at the clubhouse meeting and all.” She ends the call before I can say bye.

I slip my phone back into my purse and turn to Beeker, ‘so Beek, tell me why I am not just a piece of ass to your boss?”

He shifts uncomfortable in his seat, ‘I really don’t think it is my place to say
anything.”

“If it is me asking
, I think it is.” If I am going to be treated like the President’s woman I am going to use it for intensive purposes. I watch as the loyalty he has for Leo and the affection he has for me fight for prevalence in his mind.

“Well you didn’t hear it from me.”
I throws his eyes over to me to see if I agree.

“No actually Beeker
, Eno has spoken of it too so I would like to hear from someone who sees and hears all, you know kind of like a second opinion.” I should feel bad about putting the poor boy in such a spot but at this point in time I really don’t care.

“
Okay well the boss is a ladies’ man,’ he stops and gauges my response to this information but it doesn’t surprise me in the least.

“
He has had his fare share of women Avery, but none he has taken up with so quick, ya know?”

“
No Beeker I don’t, I have only known him for little over a week and most of the time we spend arguing or him being mad.”

“Okay well let me put it like this, if
anyone else would have done what you did Monday morning he would not be fucking around with them now. Ya see?”

I had thought he had cut me loose but he had been waiting on me
to call and Leo doesn’t seem like to type to wait on anyone, ‘is there anything else I need to know about Leo, Beeker?”

“Are you seriously trying to get me to girl talk?”

“Yes I am and the next thing I am going to ask you is what is up with you and Kayla,’ I turn in my seat and look out the windshield, ‘you can thank your boss for keeping me from my girl and planting my ass with you so you will have to fill the space until I am off lockdown.”

“Okay fine,’
he takes a deep breath, ‘Leo is a good man, took me under his wing when I was about twelve, I was getting’ into trouble and all. He caught me breaking into his shop and instead of pressing charges he told the judge I could work off my public service around the shop. I have been there ever since, and when I turned eighteen he supported me as a prospect.”

“I see
, he didn’t just beat the shit out of you?” I laugh because that seems more of what Leo would have done to a thief.

“I was twelve Avery.” He replies flatly.

Laughing, ‘okay now Kayla, she is a cutie Beek.”

He looks out the front window and smiles, ‘yeah she is.”

Nudging him with my elbow across the console, ‘so you like her, why don’t you ask her out?”

He stays silent for a moment then glances over at me, ‘just cause.”

“Just cause what, you are a young good looking guy Beeker,’ I direct my attention back out the front glass, ‘how can she say no to a face like yours?” My comment is answered with a laugh.

“I don’t have time for a woman right
now, besides I like the company of older women.” He gives me a devilish grin.

Slapping his arm, ‘you better not let Leo hear you talking like that.” We both laugh but go silent a
s a black sedan passes us in a hurry as it stirs up dust behind it.

“
Beeker is that my Dad’s rental car?” I point as the car speeds by, turning in the seat to watch the car disappear out of sight.

He jerks his head and then follows it in the rearview, ‘not sure, looked like it though.”

Beeker and I exchange confused looks as he drives on not offering to turn around to catch it and see.

The gates are slung open as Beeker pulls onto the lot he stops short of taking me around the back, ‘please Avery don’t say a word about what I told you?”

Leo is waiting for Beeker to come to a stop as he opens my door and hauls me out into his embrace, ‘hey baby.” He buries his face in the crick of my neck.

“Hey.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and tuck my nose into his chest.

He leans back, ‘everything okay?’ He ask
s as I eye Beeker walking around the hood of the vehicle with an interested look on his face.

Nodding my head at him I redirect my attention to Leo
, ‘sure I am just a little tired and my head is starting to hurt. The doc said I might have headaches for several days.” I was a little more concerned as to why my father had been here.

“You want to go and lie down for awhile?”
He nods towards the rooms in the clubhouse.

“That would be great.
Was my Dad here just a minute ago?” I swallow the fear and go all gusto.

“Yeah he was here looking for you, told him you were gone with Piper,’ h
e takes me by the hand and leads me to the clubhouse and to his room, ‘here ya go babe.” He opens the door, ‘no one will bother you Beeker will keep everybody out.” I cross to the bed and sit on the side of it.

“
You lied to him?” I stop dead in my tracks.

“Yeah I guess
I did,’ he pauses for a moment gauging my reaction, ‘did you want me to tell him the whole truth?”

Thinking the alternative through although I am guessing my father already knows all there is to know about
Leo and me, rubbing it in his face isn’t going to make matters any better.

“Strange, we we
re supposed to have lunch today. He said he would call and didn’t so if he was looking for me.” I drop off and leave it hanging in the air hoping that Leo would fill in the blanks but he doesn’t.

“That is weird.
You sure you’re good?” He cocks his eyebrow up at me.

“I have just been to the doctor that sho
ved a metal instrument up my twat along with a q-tip that is a mile long, I am a little off.”

Leo laughs, ‘I guess that woul
d throw you a little. You need some pills?”

Shaking my head gently, ‘no just a nap.”

Leo kisses me on the head, ‘okay see you in a little while babe.” He leaves closing the door behind him at least this time I don’t hear the tumblers in the lock click. Leo had lied to my father and the ease he had done it with is concerning. Looking around the room I had been a prisoner in, on more than one occasion.

I see my opportunity
to get to know a little more about Leo Tucker, I cross to the door pulling it open to see that Beeker was busy in the bar area. I gently push the door closed finding much to my disappointment the lock on the inside had been disabled, convenient. Regardless I turn and start with his dresser pulling out every drawer and rummaging through the disheveled clothing. I find nothing there so I move on to the chest, coming up just as empty handed as I had with the dresser.

I am now standing in front of his closet, I dive in full force going through all his jeans pockets then turning my attention to the boxes stacked up
in the back to the far corner. Sitting crossed legged I pull the first one down riffling through them I find old pictures of him as a little boy with who I guessed was Eno fishing and working on old dirt bikes. I smile as I discard the grainy photos reaching for the next one in the stack.

I go through them all and only have one left, pulling the lid up I find a gun and several magazines filled with bullets. Taking the gun out I turn it over in my hand looking at the side where I notice the numbers have been filled off. It is an illegal gun, untraceable
the ones used when participating in illegal activity. Placing it all back the way I had found it I reemerge from the closet I quietly close the door behind me and turn to the bed.