Charity For Nothing: The Virtues Book III (12 page)

“I need you two to take your Jeep over to Ms. Julia’s house.” The diabetic on oxygen.

“Why what’s wrong?” I asked alarmed.

“Nothing yet, but she called to let me know she’s gonna be in a fair bit of trouble if the tank she’s on runs out. She ain’t got no power and she’s getting’ low on oxygen. Called the power company and they ain’t got no designs on heading this way until at least tomorrow, maybe the next day.”

“Right, what do you need me to do?” I asked.

“Go to her house, have Nothing load up her empty travel tanks, and get on over to the Hospital, it’s about forty-five minutes up the highway.”

“Okay, then what?”

“I have a contact there,” Nothing said, “I can get the tanks switched out, and maybe one or two extra, enough to hold her until they get crews out here to restore power.

“Yeah, sure. Sound’s good. Let’s leave now,” I suggested.

Cutter pulled me into a hug, “That’s my girl’s girl. Thanks for takin’ care of my town.”

I smiled, “Taking care of people,” I glanced at Nothing, “It’s what I do.”

I drove us, and it was in utter silence, I kept glancing sideways at him, but Nothing was lost in his own little world, eyes glassy and fixed, far away and lost in thought. Finally, about midway to the hospital by the glowing clock in my dash, he shuddered and took a deep breath, like a man coming up out of the water for air. He turned and looked at me and his expression was both eerie and unreadable.

“I really am sorry I hurt you,” he said and I jumped when his hand wrapped around mine where it rested on the shifter.

I turned back to the highway, to pay attention and breathed out, and in, out and in, to steady my sudden case of nerves. His fingers found the spaces between mine and I hazarded another long look. He was fixated on my hand and his, and his expression was troubled, like he was at war with himself.

“Nothing, please, just
talk
to me,” I urged.

“I can’t talk about it, I just can’t… I just need you to know that I liked it. I liked being with you like that… a lot… and I just don’t know what to do with that, you know? You’re the first person I’ve been with since…” he swallowed hard and I gasped quietly.

“Seriously?” I asked and he nodded, looking so vulnerable it tugged at my heartstrings. Well, crap; that explained a few things now didn’t it?

“You’re beautiful, you’re sweet, you’re kind and gentle and you put up with shit that no woman deserves. Why the hell, out of everyone in the club did you set your sights on me?” he asked.

“Maybe it’s the healer in me,” I suggested, “Or maybe you just look really,
really
, hot without a shirt on.”

He laughed and the heavy atmosphere in the Jeep lightened some before he grew somber again.

“Pick someone else, Charity. You deserve a lot better.”

I couldn’t disagree when it came to the treatment so far, but… “I don’t know, Nothing, you gave it to me awfully good,” I said and his eyes widened in surprise. I smiled, “Think we can just forget about all that for now, and just try to be friends?” I asked.

“How many do overs are you going to give me?” he asked.

As many as it takes
, I thought to myself, but out loud I said “Oh, I think I have one or two more in me.”

We finished the ride to the hospital in silence, save for the odd direction or two Nothing had to give me to navigate this new and strange part of the country I was in. The atmosphere around and between us had fallen into a fragile truce, and for that I was grateful.

Chapter 16

Nothing

I met my contact, traded out the travel tanks and collected a couple of extra down in one of the deeper parts of the parking garage, money traded hands out of Charity’s sight, and we were off, headed back down the freeway towards Ft. Royal.

She yawned just before getting back into the Jeep and asked, “You want to drive?” I closed my eyes as a set of headlights swept us, and pushed back the sounds, the screaming the broken glass and crumpling metal, the white hot agony in my leg and took a deep breath.

“No,” I uttered and got in on the passenger side.

“Okay,” Charity said a little bewildered, and she drove us back to Ms. Julia’s. We made quick work of unloading and getting her hooked up, just in the nick of time, really. Charity took her O2 stats when we got to the house and she was in the low 70’s. Her tank had run out only something like a half hour ago. It wasn’t good.

We stuck around, watched her oxygen levels come back up into the 90’s, and headed back to the Captain’s house just as one of Florida’s typical thundershowers started up. My bike was right where I left it, but a little rain wasn’t going to hurt it aside from requiring I give her a wash in the coming days. Charity looked beat, which was funny because I was the one who’d gotten the beat down and had worked my ass off all day. I knew what it was though; it took a different kind of energy right out of you to treat patients all day. It could be exhausting all the same. A mental and emotional exhaustion that once you depleted your reserves past a certain point manifested in a very real, very physical, kind of tired.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” I said and she nodded.

I opened the front door to the Captain’s house for her. Stoker, Radar, and Lightning looked up and over the back of the couch where they sat lounging, open beers in hand, a movie on the screen.

“Ms. Julia all good?” Radar asked.

“She’s fine,” Charity answered, “O2 stats were in the low nineties when we left her.”

“Good,” Radar said, but he was looking me over with cool appraisal.

“C’mon, Charity. You need sleep, tomorrow’s going to be a whole ‘nother day of taking care of people.” I said and she nodded, half dead on her feet.

“Need a hand?” Stoker asked, eyeing Charity and I scowled.

“I got it.”

Radar scoffed and turned back to the television, taking a slug off his beer, Lightning giving me a dirty look before doing the same. Stoker didn’t look thrilled but he minded his own business as I gestured for Charity to precede me up the stairs.

“Where is everyone?” she asked tiredly.

“Getting the
Reclaimer
back in the water before any of the other salvage companies do. Storms are a prime time for the Captain and Pyro to make some fucking bank. They need it, and the club needs it,” Stoker said.

“Oh,” Charity said and nodded. She sighed and moved to the stairs. I hesitated at the bottom, but followed her up. I just wanted to see if she was alright.

Yeah… and pigs fly.

Truthfully, I hadn’t liked the way Stoker had eyed her, but it wasn’t like I had a right or a claim. I’d made that abundantly clear, right?

Charity stopped just inside the bedroom door and turned abruptly, her arms going around me, hugging me tight. Her head fit perfectly under my chin and I couldn’t stop myself. I let my arms go around her and rested my lips on her hair. She smelled good, her shampoo something tropical and fruity.

“I know they made you do it, but thank you anyways,” her voice was muffled against my chest, her breath warm through the thin fabric of my tee.

“For what?”

“For apologizing.”

I chuckled lightly, “They didn’t have to make me; I would have done it anyways eventually. What I did was wrong and I’m sorrier than you could know. I really am, Charity.”

She looked up abruptly and our lips just sort of naturally met, I didn’t think it was on purpose, but even if it was – oh hell. I stopped for once. I just stopped trying to pick it apart and kissed her back. It felt so damned good, her lips silken and warm against my own. The attraction raced like fire along gasoline, over and through me, setting me ablaze until I had to force myself to let her go. It was a hell of a battle to do it.

When I opened my eyes, it was to her beautiful face, flushed pink from the contact. She opened up those icy blue eyes of hers and pinned me to the spot.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed.

“Don’t be,” I murmured.

“I’m the one who suggested we just try at friends and friends just don’t kiss each other like that.”

“I kissed you back, Baby. Friends don’t kiss back, do they?”

“I don’t know.”

“That makes two of us,” I breathed bowing my head and pulling on the back of my neck with one hand to ease the sudden tension taking up residence between my shoulders. Anxiety trembled down every nerve ending, my heart picking up pace as the confusion set in.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I… my wife…” I said and she nodded a little sadly, and stepped away. I suddenly felt cold and bereft.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” she murmured and looked genuinely upset.

“No, I’m just as much to – look, can we start over?” I asked and she laughed lightly.

“Sure,” she agreed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Charity, my friend.”

She nodded, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Nothing, my friend.”

I backed out of her doorway and gave a little wave like a lame jackass and beat a hasty retreat down the stairs, adjusting my cock where it strained, uncomfortably, against my zipper.

Friends, yeah right.
I thought and slipped out the front door into the rain, tipping my face up to the splish and patter, letting it cool my lips which burned with the memory of hers on them.

Christ. I had it bad, but just like a moth to flame, I would be back in the morning for some more of her presence. It was becoming a sweet kind of torture, really. A whole new kind of punishment for myself.
Look but don’t touch.

Christ, I was one seriously fucked up motherfucker. I went home, riding slowly in the rain, dodging some of the debris still left behind. The able bodied townsfolk had mostly looked after their shit, but my place was still a wreck. So were the streets. That was the last thing that The Kraken got around to doing things like we did. Weak and disabled town folk had their places looked after first, both cleaned up and repaired, then the boats went back in the water, then we focused on our own places, and finally, if it hadn’t been looked to by municipal or county crews by then, we cleaned up the streets.

I pulled into my driveway and walked the bike carefully into the open maw of the garage, locking things down tight behind me. I spent a long minute in the shower and when I got out, I braved my bedroom. The bedding still lay folded back, the sheets rumpled from where she’d slept and creepy motherfucker that I was acting like, I laid down where she’d been and breathed deep. I didn’t mean to, but I ended up passing right the fuck out.

Chapter 17

Charity

The rich aroma of coffee dragged me the rest of the way up out of sleep. I opened my eyes to a paper cup being wafted under my nose next to a denim clad thigh.

“Peace offering,” Nothing said, holding out the cup to me.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Didn’t know what you liked, so I chanced it and got you my usual.”

“Which is?”

“Sugar free vanilla latte.”

“Gimme the real thing next time and you’re golden,” I said sitting up and taking the cup, sipping. “Although for no sugar, this ain’t half bad. What’re you doing in here?”

“Like I said, peace offering. That and the guys are already up and moving for another fun filled day of storm clean up. You ready?”

I groaned, “Let me finish caffeinating and figure out clothes and then I should be.”

He lowered his own cup from his mouth and swallowed, “Kay.”

“Charity, you okay?” Hope asked from the door, scowling at Nothing.

“He brought me coffee, it’s okay, he’s one of us,” I said in an attempt to diffuse any ugliness about to go down.

“He brought
you
coffee, but did he bring
me
any coffee? I’m the one he needs to be afraid of.”

“It was hard enough bringing two on the bike, and she’s technically the wronged party, so if you can hold off on the ire, I solemnly swear the next time I have access to my fucking cage I’ll spot you.”

Hope narrowed her eyes and pursed her mouth in her mock angry look, “I’ll let you get away with it this time,” she said and breezed down the stairs. Nothing shook his head.

“A real ball buster that one,” he muttered and I raised my eyebrows.

“Yeah, try being raised by her.”

He smiled and, oh my god, he was gorgeous when he did that. Deep smile lines appearing, miraculously, out of nowhere, etching themselves to either side of his lush mouth and framing it to perfection. I suddenly, very much so, had to resist the urge to grab him and pull that mouth to mine.

His smile faltered, “What is it?” he asked, and I felt myself blush deeply.

“Nothing, Nothing. Now why don’t you let a girl get dressed, and I’ll meet you and everyone else downstairs.”

“Okay,” he got up and leaned over, hesitating at first, before planting a swift, chaste, kiss on my lips. I blinked and he was gone. I looked down at the cooling coffee in my hands and drank some more of it before kicking the blankets off my legs and going for clothes. We had another long day ahead of us.

I ended up driving the first aid kit and like four of the guys across town to Hossler’s place. When we got there, she had a big square of the front lawn, all bright with sunlight, cleared of debris she’d pushed off to the side and was bringing canvas sacks out of her house, laying them out on the bare patch.

“Aw, hell no!” Trike cried from the back seat.

“Shut up, Prospect, and try not to be such a puss.” Stoker said laughing beside me. I looked over at him.

“What are they?”

“Snakes,” he answered and got out of my Jeep. The passenger seat was thrown forward and Trike, followed by Lightning and Gator, got out.

“I’m with Trike,” I muttered and got out too.

Hossler’s roof ended up needing repair. Nothing and Radar ended up spending most of the day up there fixing it, while I helped Hossler clean rat cages. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it was honest and with as many kids as Hossler had hanging around, both hers and the neighbors, she was appreciative of my assistance. Besides, the rats, unlike the snakes, were cute. I could handle one snake at a time, they
were
cool to look at, but Hoss had something like sixty or seventy. That was more than a bit much for me.