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Murphy
“But what if they’re murderers?”
I glanced over at Tatum. “I think we have better odds in there than heading back to Brandt’s.”
We were in the middle of fucking nowhere.
I figured Brandt had us somewhere between Rockton and Chicago when we first set out.
The sun had risen this morning. I woke Tatum to get going, and we finally came to a road after close to an hour of walking. Fifteen minutes down that road was a large cabin with two old trucks in the driveway and a beat-up car parked next to the garage.
“What if they know Brandt, and he told them to tell him if they saw us?”
“I don’t know if I followed that, baby girl.”
Tatum rolled her eyes. “I think we should keep walking until we get to a gas station or something.”
“Who’s to say Brandt won’t be at the gas station waiting for us?” I asked. “It’s more likely we would go to the gas station than to this cabin.”
The cabin wasn’t run down and falling apart.
It was well-kept, and the two trucks in the driveway were restored.
“I hope you’re right,” Tatum mumbled. “I should have held onto my nail board.” She pretended she was swinging a bat. “Would have taken out these murderers in one swipe.” She stumbled around, and I grabbed her arm before she tumbled to the ground.
“Easy there, slugger,” I chuckled. I pulled her close and brushed her hair out of her face. “Let's just knock on the door and see what happens, okay?”
She rolled her eyes but agreed. “Fine, but just know I’m ready to go Babe Ruth on their butts as soon as I find something to swing on them with.”
“You certainly have changed, baby girl. I don’t remember you being this feisty.”
Tatum shrugged. “I was trying to impress you, and I never got kidnapped with you around. One never really knows how they would react in a situation until they are in that situation.”
“You’re a nut, Tatum.” I led her to the house and knocked on the front door.
Tatum moved behind me but peeked around my arm. “I’m ready,” she whispered. “Just give me the signal, and I’ll grab that little red wagon planter.”
I twisted and looked at her. “What the hell are you going to do with a planter?” I whispered loudly.
The front door opened, and Tatum shrunk behind me.
“You gotta be shitting me,” I called.
“What?” Tatum whispered.
“What the hell are you doing on my doorstep, kid?”
“Kid?” Tatum asked. “What is going on?”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.
“You know him?” Tatum asked.
I reached behind me and pulled Tatum to stand next to me.
“Tatum, meet Gravel. Gravel, meet Tatum.”
Yup, none other than Gravel from the Devil’s Knights.
“You know the murderer?” Tatum asked.
“Murderer?” Gravel growled. “What the hell are you talking about, girl?”
I grabbed Tatum’s hand and pulled her to my side. “Gravel is a friend. He’s a part of the motorcycle club I told you about.”
Tatum’s eyes bugged out. “You’re part of the club with all the crazy women who break beds, get arrested, and are just all around crazy? I’ve heard so much about you guys.”
Gravel’s lips thinned. “I’m glad to see the club legacy is Meg and the ol’ ladies being crazy.” Gravel looked us up and down. “What the hell are you two doing on my doorstep looking like you traipsed fifty miles in the woods and got into a fight with a bear?”
“You got the traipsing through the woods right,” Tatum sighed. “Do you think I could use your bathroom? And maybe drink a gallon of water?”
“Gravel? Who is at the door?” a woman called from inside the cabin.
“It’s one of Leo’s men and a crazy woman,” Gravel called. “Get a pot of coffee on, darlin’.” Gravel stepped back and held the door open. “Come on in and tell me what the hell you two are up to.”
We stepped into the cabin, and for the first time in twenty-four hours, I felt safe.
Gravel’s cabin was more than just a shack in the woods.
The outside was half logs as the siding and a high-pitched roof with two peaks.
Inside, it was wide open from the kitchen, living room, and dining room with a hallway off the kitchen to what I assumed were bedrooms and bathrooms. There was a large stone fireplace in the living room with two huge deer mounts on each side of the chimney. Various birds and other stuffed wildlife were hung on the walls.
“Murphy!” Ethel called. “What on earth happened to you?” She tossed down the dish towel in her hand and rushed over to Tatum and me. “You look horrible!”
Leave it to Ethel to tell it like it was.
“You’re Ethel,” Tatum exclaimed. “You are the one who broke the bed with Meg.”
Ethel tsked and shook her head. “I was there, but it was Meg and Cyn who broke the bed. That was ages ago, too. How on earth did you know about that?”
“I might have told her a few entertaining stories,” I confessed. I was surprised that Tatum had remembered them. Though I had found that Meg and the other Devil’s Knights ol’ ladies were pretty damn memorable.
Ethel held her hand out to Tatum. “You know who I am, but I don’t know you, honey. I didn’t know Murphy had someone special.”
Tatum shook her hand but stuttered, “Oh, uh, well... you see...”
“We’re not together, Ethel. I can explain it all after I use your phone. I need to get in touch with Leo right away.”
“Can I use your bathroom while Murphy calls Leo?” Tatum asked. “I’m not really one to like to commune with nature, and I’ve had to do that too many times in the past twenty-four hours.”
“Of course, of course,” Ethel rushed. “Follow me, honey.”
Ethel led Tatum down the hall to the bathroom, and Gravel handed me his phone. “Just know I’m calling King.”
I nodded and grabbed the phone. “We’re more than likely going to need to the club’s help with this one.”
Gravel nodded and sat down in the recliner by the fireplace. “God knows you goons have helped us out when we needed it.”
“We’re not goons,” I muttered. Brandt and his band of idiots were goons. From memory, I dialed Leo’s number and waited three rings before he answered. “Gravel?”
“No,” I called. “It’s me.”
“Holy fuck,” Leo boomed into the phone. “Where the hell are you? Why the hell are you calling me from Gravel’s phone?”
I moved the phone away from my mouth. “Where the hell are we, old man?”
Gravel chuckled. “About three hours north of Rockton. Eagle River is about twenty minutes away.”
“You hear that?” I asked Leo.
“How the fuck did you get all the way up there? I know where Gravel’s cabin is, and it’s in the middle of nowhere.” Leo demanded.
“And that’s how I like it,” Gravel hollered.
“We’ve been searching everywhere between Rockton and Chicago for you. We would never have found you if you hadn’t gotten away.” Leo sighed heavily. “Tell me what the hell happened.”
I ran through the story of Brandt getting the drop on me when Larry, Kitty’s dad, went missing. “I woke up tied to a chair, and then he tossed Tatum at my feet.”
“Tatum?” Leo asked. “The girl you dated years ago?”
“Yeah, her.”
“How the hell did Leo find out about her?”
I didn’t have a clue. “Must have really dug into my past.”
“So, how the hell did you get away?”
“I managed to break a window, and we took off. The strange thing is, Brandt hasn’t come after us. It’s like he wanted us to get away. It’s fucking weird.”
“Shit is always weird when it comes to Brandt. I wish the fucking weasel would just die already.” Leo paused. “He didn’t try anything when you busted out?”
“Nada. We fucking waited for a bit once we were far enough away, and it was like the place was dead. No one there.”
“You think you can get back to the place?” Leo asked.
“I don’t know. I remember what the place looked like, but it’s not like we took roads to get to Gravel’s place. We hiked through the fucking woods for hours before we found this place.”
Leo clicked his tongue. “The fucking odds of you stumbling into Gravel are fucking slim, Murphy. You guys got fucking lucky.”
That was the damn truth. “So what do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Hang tight there if it’s okay with Gravel, and I’ll send Creed and Apollo your way.”
“Just a heads up, Gravel is calling King once I get off the phone,” I offered.
Leo chuckled. “I wouldn’t expect less. Say hello to the old man for me and be careful.” Leo ended the call, and I tossed the phone to Gravel. “Call your kid and let him know we’re here.”
“My kid,” Gravel chuckled. “King will have your ass if he heard you call him kid. Pretty sure he’s older than you, son.”
He was only a few years older, but I still liked to yank his chain by referring to him as Gravel’s kid. “Why weren’t you ever prez of the club?” I asked.
Gravel shrugged and grabbed his coffee cup from the table beside his chair. “Never wanted it. Thought I was going to be stuck with it when Storm got restless, but King stepped up. Showed that he wanted to take over, and I was off the hook.”
“Storm?” I asked. I thought I had met every guy in the club.
Gravel waved his hand. “He was the founding prez of the Devil’s Knights. Stuck around for about fifteen years before he wanted more than what the club could give him. He took off as soon as King was set to be prez, and I haven’t seen him since.” Gravel chuckled low. “For all I know, he’s been dead and gone. He was older than I am. It’s a miracle I’m still kicking.”
“Hush your mouth,” Ethel called. She walked into the kitchen and put her hands on her hips. “No one is dying around here.”
Gravel rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee. “We’re all gonna go some time, darlin’.”
Ethel waved her hand at Gravel. “You’re too ornery to die.”
Gravel shrugged. “She’s not wrong.”
“I set your lady up with some clean clothes, and she’s showering.” Ethel moved to the coffeepot. “She’s got a few cuts on her face that should heal fine once she cleans them up.” She grabbed two coffee cups and filled them both.
I nodded. “Thank you, Ethel. I don’t know what we would have done if this wasn’t your place.”
She held up the cup to me. “Don’t even need to thank me, Murphy. You’ve always been my favorite of the goons.”
Gravel let out a belly laugh and slapped his knee.
“We’re not goons,” I chuckled.
Ethel winked. “Sure.” She leaned against the counter and smiled. “I’m sure it’s a dumb question, but would you and Tatum like something to eat after you get cleaned up?”
I had heard stories of Ethel’s meals. They rivaled Meg’s, and Meg was the best cook, well, except for Bristol, who cooked at Wyndemere. “I wouldn’t say no if you cooked something.” I would eat a mustard-covered sock at this point.
Ethel laughed and moved to the fridge. “I’ll get cooking.” She looked at me and tipped her head to the side. “The other goons headed this way?” she asked.
I nodded and couldn’t hide my smile. “Yes, ma’am. Creed and Apollo.” As much as I hated being called a goon, I couldn’t be mad at Ethel when she said it. “You might want to make extra.”
She winked and opened the fridge. “Can do.”