Fat Louise (19 page)

Cade nodded his head, setting his own beer down on the worktable. “Let me know how much I owe you for the bike, and I’ll get the cash for you.”
 

“Will do. Be careful riding that piece of shit until I can get yours built.”
 

“I will.”
 

“You going to hit the road as soon as it’s done?”
 

“Yeah. Hung around here too long already.”
 

“You don’t like Jamestown?” Stud began working on the bike again.
 

“I like it too much, but I travel, it’s what I do. Left home the day I turned eighteen, joined
the Marines, did my time in the service, and got out. There are a lot of jobs open for a man who wants to sell his skills to the right buyer. Moved from town to town, taking the jobs I wanted, and I turned down those I didn’t. I made enough a couple of years ago to retire, and the job I took for Jane’s father was just icing on the cake.”
 

“Ever go back to see your parents?”
 

“Fuck no. My old man was a junkie who knocked me around whenever he wanted, and my ma stood back and watched. Don’t even know if they’re alive or dead; don’t care enough to find out, either.”
 

“Don’t guess I blame you.” Stud reached for the wrench. “Ever think the reason you’re a nomad is because you’re searching for a family that’ll have your back?”
 

“No. Don’t want a family. They tie you down and destroy you.”
 

“On the other hand, they can have your back when no one else will. The Blue Horsemen and the Destructors have your back, whether you want them to or not, so you might as well learn to live with that fact, brother.”
 

*  *  *
 

Cade went back to the clubhouse with Stud’s words repeating over and over in his mind. He had drawn closer to the brothers over the past months, despite himself. He refused to acknowledge Jane had any part in his staying. Even if she did, it wouldn’t have mattered. He wasn’t ready to stop roaming, and from the expression on her face that day, she had been cut hard by his actions. Wounds like that didn’t heal overnight, if ever.
 

He needed a fucking drink to take her image out of his mind. The other women he had found himself with since then had failed to do so. Cade didn’t think the liquor would help any better, although he was at a point where he was willing to try anything to drive the feel of her away for
a few minutes.
 

Going to the bar, he stood next to Dozer and Bear. Both were arguing back and forth on who they were going to fuck that evening.
 

A little while later, the door opened, and Sex Piston and her crew came in with Stud. Cade admired the man who was able to handle being around the women constantly.
 

He noticed Jane wasn’t with the crew again that night. He hadn’t seen her in a couple of months. At first, when he had made an ass of himself, she had come to the club every night with one of the bitches in tow, as if to show him she didn’t give a shit, but her visits had gradually tapered off until she never showed at all anymore.
 

Stud left the women sitting at a table and came to the bar. “June, give me drinks for the girls, and I’ll take a whiskey. I need it.” Stud winked at the brunette, whose tits were showing through the white T-shirt she was wearing.
 

The clubhouse door opened, and Jane’s father came inside looking like he had the first time Cade had met him, like he was so scared he was about to shit himself.
 

“What’s he doing here?” Cade asked Stud, who gave him another weird look that he couldn’t decipher. Cade was beginning to get the feeling that something was going on he didn’t know about.
 

He watched as Montgomery approached Sex Piston’s table.
 

“Sex Piston, I’ve been looking for Jane. Where is she?”
 

“Why do you give a shit?”
 

Montgomery was obviously startled by her harsh question. “She’s my daughter, and I haven’t seen or heard from her in over two months.”
 

“And you’re just now getting worried? Fuck off!” Sex Piston snarled.
 

“I’ll call the police and report her missing!”
 

“Call them. I’ll tell them she’s working at Popeye’s, on top of her hospital job.”
 

“What? Why is she working there?”
 

“Because she’s trying to keep a roof over her sorry mother’s head.”
 

“But I succeeded in getting my money back, and I made sure her allowance was restarted.”
 

“Look in the account, and you’ll see she doesn’t touch it. She doesn’t want a dime of your money, never has. That’s why she’s always given it to her mom and that bitch daughter of yours.”
 

“Why wouldn’t she…? I don’t understand.”
 

“Because, what did you do when you got your money back two months ago? You and Bailey went running back to New York. Who the fuck do you think got that money back for you?”
 

“The banks—”
 

“Bullshit. Those banks didn’t give a fuck whether you recovered your money or not. Jane went to The Last Riders and asked for their help. Knox is a computer engineer, and Crash is a computer nerd. They stole the money back for you.”
 

“I didn’t know.”
 

“Jesus! You’re so fucking stupid. How did you make that money in the first place?”
 

“I need to go see her…” Montgomery turned yet was stopped by Sex Piston’s harsh words.
 

“Stay the fuck away from her. She doesn’t want to see you right now or anyone else who’s hurt her. She wants to be left alone. You go near her, and I’ll kick your ass.”
 

“Is she in trouble? I can help—”
 

“You can’t help her now. It’s too fucking late.” Sex Piston’s voice grew tight. Cade had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what came out of her mouth next. “You’ve never been a father to
her. You left her behind then flaunted that blond bitch in front of her as the daughter you loved and cared about more. When she was a teenager, you let her stepmother and Bailey both torment her about her looks until she started calling herself the name they would call her when you weren’t around. Only when Bailey took off did you remember you have another daughter.
 

“When Bailey disappeared, you made sure to let Jane know how upset you were that she was in danger, leaving no doubt in Jane’s mind that you wished it was her instead of Bailey. She even knows that, when Cade asked you who to save if it came down to the two of them, he was to leave Jane to die and save Bailey!” Sex Piston’s voice rose until she was yelling at the ashen man.
 

“How does she know that?”
 

“Because you told your wife, and she relayed it to Bailey, who threw it up to Jane, you fucking asshole! If someone asked me that fucking question, I would have shot them then found someone else to do the job. Get out of my face before I beat the shit out of you.”
 

Montgomery grabbed onto the back of a chair. Cade wasn’t sure if it was more to hold himself up or to use in self-defense if Sex Piston decided to attack.
 

“I have to go see her to make things right.”
 

“You’re never going to make things right for her. Right now, dealing with you is the last thing she needs or wants. She had a miscarriage and needs peace right now, and I’m going to see she gets it. Go back to New York and wait a few months. Maybe then she’ll be more able to deal with your guilty conscience.”
 

“She was pregnant? Who…?”
 

“It doesn’t matter who the father was. He didn’t care about her any more than you do. Get out!” Sex Piston lunged to her feet, and both Killyama and Crazy Bitch held her back as
Montgomery fled the club.
 

Cade stood as still as if someone had punched him in the gut. “It was mine, wasn’t it?” he asked Stud hoarsely.
 

“Yeah, brother, it was your kid.”
 

Chapter 22
 

Jane filled the large cup with soda then snapped on the lid. Looking at her watch, she saw she had thirty minutes left on her shift. She had already finished her clean up, so she would only have to clock out when her shift was over.
 

Carrying the drink to the counter, she handed it to the man waiting.
 

“Thanks.” Rock took the drink, giving her a smile.
 

“You’re welcome.” He always stopped by at the end of each night to give her a ride home. Jane appreciated him offering. She had hated to call Killyama when he was already here, so she had accepted the rides. “I won’t be much longer.”
 

“Take your time. I’ll sit at a table until you’re ready.”
 

“Okay.” Jane gave him a smile as he moved away.
 

“Jane, can you box up the rest of the chicken?” Corra, the manager, asked.
 

“Sure.” Jane turned her back to the counter and started boxing up the fried chicken that hadn’t been sold.
 

Corra let the workers take home what they wanted, and Jane could now say she was sick of her favorite meal. She couldn’t choke down another piece of chicken if someone put a gun to her head.
 

She was almost done when she heard the bell ring over the door.
 

“Hold off on boxing the chicken. We may need to drop some more.” Jane turned around at Corra’s order, seeing the mass of large bikers entering the restaurant.
 

“Call the cops and tell them to do a swing by,” Corra muttered under her breath.
 

“It’s okay. I know them.” Jane’s words didn’t take the frown off her manager’s face.
 

Dozer was the first in line to place his order, but Jane’s attention was on Cade who stepped to the counter in front of her.
 

“We need to talk.”
 

“No, we don’t.” Jane ignored him, going to stand beside Corra.
 

Looking at the screen, she began filling Dozer’s order. She boxed his chicken and sides, placing them on a tray to hand to Corra. She continued to avoid Cade who was standing grimly in place when she went to fix Dozer’s soda. Her hand shook as she snapped on the lid. Carrying it carefully, she placed it down on the counter, afraid she would make a fool of herself and drop it. Cade merely stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited while she filled the orders.
 

The small restaurant was practically filled with the bikers. Jane was sure no other customers could come inside with the parking lot filled with motorcycles.
 

She went back and forth behind the counter, noticing that Corra was becoming more agitated with Cade watching her.
 

“Will you go away?” Jane hissed at him.
 

“No.”
 

“Jane,” Corra called to her as Jane shot Cade a nasty look. “You can go ahead and leave. Jake and I can finish up.”
 

“But I have fifteen more minutes.”
 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll clock you out. Just go.”
 

Jane could tell she was better off not arguing. She went to the back and grabbed her purse before returning to the front. Stepping out from behind the counter, her path was blocked by Cade as he took her arm.
 

“Let me go,” Jane protested.
 

“We’re going to talk.”
 

“Let her go.” Rock came to her side.
 

“Back off, Rock. Jane has something she needs to tell me.”
 

Jane went white at his words. He had found out. One of her big mouthed friends must have told him about the miscarriage.
 

“I did have something to tell you, but now I don’t. I don’t know why you’re upset, anyway. It’s not like it would have mattered to you. You’re too busy getting laid and riding that bike around town with the brothers.”
 

Cade flinched at her words.
 

“It matters. It was my baby, too.”
 

“Not anymore,” Jane choked out.
 

Rock placed his arm around Jane, and she leaned against him for support, suddenly feeling dizzy.
 

“Take me home, Rock.”
 

“Brother, I’m giving you a warning. Take your arm off her, or we’re going to have a problem.”
 

“The only problem I see is a man who wants something back he threw away.” Rock didn’t take his arm away as he moved Jane so she was on his other side, farther away from Cade.
 

“I didn’t throw shit away. I screwed up.”
 

“What’s the fucking difference?”
 

“This is a talk me and Jane need to be having, not you and me, Rock.”
 

“Do you want to talk to him?” Rock questioned Jane.
 

“No.” Jane only wanted to get out of there and go to bed. She was exhausted. She needed to get some sleep before she had to be back at work at the hospital at six a.m.
 

“That settles it. Move, Cade,” Rock ordered.
 

“Make me.”
 

“Cade, stop it. I’m tired—” Jane began.
 

“Are you always going to hide behind someone, Jane? When are you…?”
 

Jane felt his words fade out as the room began spinning. The last thing she heard was Cade’s shout.
 

*  *  *
 

Jane moved her head on the pillow, staring at the man lying next to her. She was in her bedroom at Crazy Bitch’s apartment, having no idea how she had gotten there.