what Alannah tells me, Kristen and Billy weren’t anything to each other.”
“You and Alannah talk too much.”
“We’re women, what do you expect?” she laughs, turning back to finish loading the dishwasher.
The change in Bonnie from when she first came through the door is priceless.
It took a long while for her to come out of herself after everything she went through with her father’s club. She went from quiet and broken to strong and confident. I don’t blame my brother for knocking her up and putting a ring on her finger before the dust settled around them, if I were in his boots I would have done the same.
I have always liked Bonnie. Once she lets you in, you can see that she is funny as well as kind. Anyone on the outside can see Sparky completes her. She can hold her corner and she proved that the night she was forced to take her brother’s life, but rather than retreating when she finds life difficult she sinks into Sparky and he’s all too happy to be her protector.
“What with her staying in town, who knows what will happen?” she smirks.
“Ok, I’m leaving. It’s too early for this shit,” I say, standing to leave.
“What shit?” Sparky asks, walking into the room carrying baby JJ in his arms.
He heads straight for Bonnie and kisses her like they’re the only people in the room.
“Slade likes the new girl in town,” she informs him, pulling away slightly and throwing me to the wolves.
“Is that right?”
“No, it’s not. Like I said, I’m leaving.”
“Hold on, I’ll walk out with you.”
Sparky hands over JJ to Bonnie and follows me outside.
“Thanks again for the food Bon,” I call back.
“You’re welcome. If you want to impress her with food again, just let me know,” she calls back. I can hear the amusement in her voice and I know this isn’t going to be the last I hear of it.
“I’ve been tryin’ to get a hold of Oak but he isn’t pickin’ up my calls. If you see him, can you get him to call me?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks brother…” he’s interrupted by his cell ringing. “It’s Cas,” he informs me.
I hold off leaving until I know if I’m going to be needed. The entire phone call lasts no longer than thirty seconds.
“We need to head to the club, Cas has got word about Ricky and it don’t sound good.”
“I didn’t think it would be,” I sigh.
“I’ll be five minutes then I’ll be behind you,” he says, looking at my truck. “Where’s your bike?”
“It’s at the club, something isn’t running right with it.”
Cas was propping up the bar when I arrived. Sparky walked in twenty minutes later.
“You heard from Oak today?” Cas asks, walking towards the backroom.
“I tried callin’ him this mornin’ but I got his voicemail,” Sparky answered.
“I got a bad feelin’ some bad shit is about to erupt all over us.”
Taking our seats, everyone began piling into the room. Pope was the last one in and commented on Oak’s absence.
“What’s goin’ on Cas?”
“I had Banksy on the phone earlier. Ricky hasn’t been granted bail and he’s sayin’ he’s been set up.”
“By who?” I ask.
“Good fuckin’ question. Business has been good lately. None of us has had any trouble with anyone, who the fuck would be out for Ricky?” Sparky asks.
“I intend to find out. Banksy is goin’ to see him later today, I’ve told him I want to know Ricky’s every movement in the last few weeks when he hasn’t been with any of us. Someone got close enough to plant shit on him and I want to know who.”
Just as I’m about to say I’ll also look into his movements, Oak barges into the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
“Where the fuck have you been brother?” Sparky grunts.
Oak’s clearly pissed and slumps into his seat, throwing a bunch of tickets on the table.
“Fuckin’ bullshit tickets. They had me down the courthouse for over three hours, over twenty-one hundred dollars in fines. Speeding, parking