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Scooby
“Okay, Ma, don’t rush it.”
“I’m fine, baby. Eddie’s got me on good stuff.”
I helped her into the front seat of her car and secured her seatbelt. “You good?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
I kissed her cheek, then closed her door. Wrath, Tango, and Needles were already on their bikes.
“We’ll follow you,” Needles said.
I gave him a chin lift and made my way to the driver’s side. My mother’s car was small, so I had to move the seat back as far back as it would go but I was still struggling to fit.
“We need to get you a bigger car,” I grumbled starting it up.
“Sweetie, I’m half your size, it works just fine for me.”
I smiled and led our convoy out of the gates.
“I wish you’d stay at the cabin, Mama,” I said, for the umpteenth time.
“I know you do, but I need to be in my own space.”
“You’re gonna be guarded.”
She sighed. “I know.”
“No arguments?”
“Did I mention the good stuff Eddie gave me?”
I smiled. “I’m also gonna check in every day. I’d stay with you if you’d let me.”
“You try to move back in, I’ll write you out of my will,” she threatened.
“I’d never do that to you.”
“What happened to my nurse?”
I gripped the steering wheel and fighting the urge to rip it out of the dashboard. “She had other obligations.”
“Crew Dominic Faulkner, what did you do to that poor girl?”
“Why the hell would you think I did anything?”
“Because quality women like her don’t...”
She didn’t finish her sentence and I glanced at her. “Don’t what, Ma?”
“Nothing. Forget I said anything.”
“Jesus,” I hissed.
“I don’t want to fight, Crew.”
“I’m gonna let this go for now, but you sure as hell better be ready for us to revisit this conversation when you’re feelin’ better.”
“Oh, goody,” she retorted just as we pulled up to her home.
Tango, Wrath, and Needles pulled their bikes up next to her car and I handed Tango her keys. He and Wrath went ahead to do a walk-through of her house before we made our way inside. Wrath had installed a state-of-the-art security system two days ago, but until my mother was lucid enough to remember the code, she’d be guarded twenty-four-seven.
By the time I’d made it to the passenger side, Needles already had my mother out of the car, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, as he guided her to the front door.
I froze, feeling like I’d just been shot. If clarity was a bullet, I just got hit right between the eyes.
Fucking hell. Needles was in love with my mother.
Forcing my feet to move, I followed them inside, waiting for Needles to help my mother to the recliner in the living room.
“I’ll just give Scooby a run down on your meds, sweetheart,” he said, and made his way to the kitchen.
I followed. “You gonna fill me in?” I whispered.
“Yeah.” He held up one of Mom’s pill bottles. “That’s what I’m fixin’ to do.”
“Not about the drugs, brother.” I crossed my arms. “About whatever the fuck’s been goin’ on between you and my mother.”
“Nothin’s been goin’ on between me and your mother.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Bullshit.”
He shook his head. “Not my story to tell, Scooby. You’re gonna need to talk to her.”
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.”
Holding up the bottle on the left. “One in the morning,” he held up the bottle on the right, “Two at night.”
“Yeah, I can read a label,” I ground out.
“I’ll be back tomorrow.” He left me standing alone in the kitchen and said his goodbyes to my mother and then he was gone.
I took a deep breath and made my way into the living room.
“You’re all good, Jill,” Wrath said, handing her a button on a string. “But if you get into trouble, press this.”
“Oh, lord. Have I become the ‘I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up’ lady?”
“You’re prettier.” He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll be back tomorrow night.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon,” Tango said.
“Y’all don’t need to fuss, you know.”
“We know,” they said, in stereo.
After saying their goodbyes, they walked out the door, Wrath setting the alarm on his way out.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked.
“No, I’m good, baby,” Mom said.
“You hungry?”
“Eddie fed me before we left, I’m good.”
“You gonna fill me in on that?” I asked.
“No.”
“Jesus, Ma.” I dragged my hands down my face.
She let out a yawn before saying, “Baby boy, I’m an adult. I’m allowed my privacy.”
She had a point. “Are you still... uh... havin’ your ‘privacy’?”
Unfortunately, I was speaking to the air because my mother had fallen asleep.
* * *
Rowan
Wednesday morning, I opened the diner only to have Needles walk in the door twenty minutes later. “You’re a little high up on the food chain to be guarding me, aren’t you?”
He smiled, removing his sunglasses, and sitting up at the breakfast bar. “I’m not here for that.”
I handed him a menu.
“Not here for that either.”
“What do you want, Needles?” I breathed out. “No offense, but if you’re here about Scooby, I’m not interested.”
“I’m not here about Scooby, either.”
“Okay.”
“I’m here about Jill.”
I frowned. “Why? Is she okay?”
“Yes, but I can’t look in on her tonight and I really need someone—someone I can trust who can swing by and check on her sutures.”
“Hire a nurse,” I said, filling the coffee maker with grounds.
“You know it’s not that simple.”
I bit back tears of frustration. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Look, sweetheart, I know this is a shit sandwich. I know what I’m askin’ you is more than too much, but I’m in a bind, and you’re the best fuckin’ nurse I’ve ever worked with. I haven’t trusted someone like this in a long time. I could hire someone, you’re right, but I couldn’t hire someone who wouldn’t ask questions,” he said.
I pressed my lips into a thin line. “He can’t know. He also can’t be there.”
“Tonight’s our club meetin’. He won’t be there. Wyatt’ll pick you up and drive you back, a recruit’ll be with you the whole way. He’ll never know anything about it.”
“Can I bring Lord?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t like this,” I said.
“If there was anyone else, Rowan, I swear to god, I’d go to them.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I’ll text you.”
“Fine,” I breathed out, and he walked out of the diner, leaving me to my thoughts... and my anxiety.
* * *
Wyatt arrived to pick me up at eight, right after the diner closed, and I loaded my medical bag and Lord into her backseat before climbing in beside her. Healy and someone I didn’t recognize were on their bikes behind her.
“Hey, honey,” she said.
“Hi.”
“You doing okay?”
I ignored her question. “Is Scooby at the club?”
“Yes. And he’s being watched closely by both Needles and Sierra. If he even attempts to leave the cabin, I will know.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I promise, Rowan, I have your back,” Wyatt said. “What you’re doing, for both Jill and the club, won’t be forgotten.”
“I don’t need credit, Wyatt. I really don’t mind doing it. I mean, I like Needles. I respect him. It’s just...”
“Scooby and him being an asshat.”
I studied my hands.
“I’m sorry, honey. Things are just really chaotic right now.”
“I don’t need to know,” I said. “Honestly, I don’t want to know.”
We pulled up to a gorgeous little bungalow, two bikes already in the driveway. My heart raced and I bit my lip as Wyatt turned off her car.
“Don’t worry, Rocky and Wrath are here,” she said. “They both know you’re coming and neither of them will tell Scooby.”
I nodded, letting out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Grabbing my bag and Lord out of the back, I made my way up to the porch. The front door opened before we could ring the bell, and Rocky met us outside.
“Hey, Rowan,” Rocky said. “Thanks for coming.”
“Hi.” I smiled nervously. “Can you watch Lord? He likes you.”
“Jill said you were welcome to bring Lord inside if you’d like,” he said.
“I don’t want to impose.”
He smiled. “She said to insist if you said that.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
We made our way inside and I settled Lord in the kitchen with Healy who seemed to be besotted with him.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Wrath said.
“Hi. I’ll just wash up.”
He nodded. “Needles left gloves and shit for you. Everything’s in the cabinet above the dishwasher. Jill’s in the living room.”
“Thanks.” I used the kitchen sink to wash my hands, then grabbed gloves and my bag and headed into the living room.
Jill was in a recliner, looking a heck of a lot more lucid than she had a few days ago, even if her bruises looked much worse.
“Hi, Jill,” I said, doing my best to keep my voice bright.
“Hi, sweetie. I heard you were coming to check on me tonight. Thank you for taking the time.”
I smiled. “Let’s have a look at those stitches.”
I tried to make my visit as efficient as possible, but Jill was friendly and genuine, and it was hard to resist her warmth. Not to mention the fact that Rocky and Wrath were sweet and funny, and I felt instantly at ease with them.
But I was not there to make friends. I was there to do a job. A one-time favor, then I was free to go home and nurse my broken heart.
“Well, your blood pressure is perfect, your stitches look good, and you appear to be healing right on schedule,” I said. “Has Needles talked to you about physical therapy?”
“Yes. He’s warned me about that.”
“It won’t be so bad.” I smiled. “Okay, I’m going to get out of your hair.”
“Actually, can I speak to you, privately?” She turned to Rocky and Wrath. “Girl stuff.”
“Of course,” I said.
“We’ll go see Lord,” Rocky said.
Wrath and Rocky left the room, leaving Jill and me alone.
“What can I answer for you?” I asked.
“What did my son do to you?” she asked.
My stomach roiled. “I’m sorry?”
“Crew. What did he do to you?”
“Why do you think he did anything to me?” I asked.
Lord came trotting into the room, lying at my feet and I slid my hands into his fur.
“I know my son, and I know that you’re someone special to him.”
Tears stung the back of my eyes. “I think you’ve been ill-informed. I’m just a nurse.”
She studied me. “Did he break your heart?”
“What? No. I’m sorry, but it’s late,” I said, standing. “I should really get going.”
She reached for my hand. “Whatever he’s done, please try to find it in your heart to forgive him. He’s a good man, honey.”
“I... I need to go.”
I rushed out of the room so fast, I completely forgot there was a step up to get from the living room into the foyer and tripped as I was leaving. If Rocky hadn’t caught me, I would have fallen flat on my face.
“Whoa, you okay?”
“I need to go,” I rasped. “Jill’s um, she’s good. But I need to go home now.”
“Okay, sweetheart, Wyatt’ll take you.”
“Great.” I nodded, unable to meet his eyes. “Thank you.”
I was on the verge of a massive panic attack, and I couldn’t seem to find my center. Lord was whining as he stuck close to me and I slid my hand into his collar, leading him outside. In the end, he jumped up onto my shoulders and forced me to sit on the ground. I had no time to think about how mortifying it was that I was kneeling in the grass in the front yard, I just had to drop my head to my knees and try to breathe.
Wyatt’s gentle arm came around my shoulders and she gave me a squeeze. “You’ve got this, Rowan. Just breathe. No one is watching. It’s just you and me. All of your stuff is in the car, and we can go as soon as you’re ready. There’s no rush or pressure.”
I sobbed into my knees, my breath shallow as I tried my best not to hyperventilate.
“One deep breath, honey. Just one. Try for me.”
I focused on her touch, then on her voice, and forced air into my lungs.
“Good,” she encouraged. “One more.”
This went on for a few minutes until I was finally breathing normally and felt like I wouldn’t pass out. Lord was also much calmer, sitting up beside me instead of lying with his head in my lap.
“I’m good, Wyatt. Thank you,” I said. “We can go now.”
“Let me see your eyes, honey.”
I blinked back tears and forced myself to look at her.
“Let’s just wait one more second,” she suggested right as her phone buzzed in her purse. She pulled it out and hissed, “Shit!”
“What?”
“The fucking bull got out of the barn.”
“Huh?”
Before she could explain, Wrath came rushing out of the house. “You gotta go.”
“Yeah, I know. Needles just texted,” Wyatt said, then turned to me. “Okay, honey, let’s get you in the car.”
“Oh, crap. Scooby?” I asked, hearing the roar of motorcycle pipes.
“Yes. He snuck out while Needles was in the bathroom. Sierra got pulled into something for her brother and missed him by a few minutes.”
“Oh my god,” I cried, jumping to my feet. “Hurry.”
But it was too late. Scooby pulled into the driveway just as Wyatt unlocked her car. I had nowhere to hide. I either had to face him or jump in the car and make a run for it.
“What the fuck?” he demanded, cutting his engine, and removing his helmet. “What the hell are you doin’ here, Rowan?”
I swallowed convulsively as Lord growled beside me.
“Scooby, you need to back up,” Rocky warned.
“What the fuck’s she doin’ here?” he bit out.
“Needles asked her to check on your mom,” Rocky said.
“I was clear, Rock. So goddamn fuckin’ clear, she was out!” he snarled.
She was out.
Oh, god, the pain of those words.
Torment.
I met his eyes. “I am out,” I whispered. “You’ll never see me again.”
With that, I loaded Lord into the car and waited for Wyatt to join me. I wasn’t going to waste another second on Crew Faulkner and his club. I was done.
