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“Bye, Santa!” he yelled as he jumped up from the seat and ran from the garage, his little legs pumping fast as he crossed the driveway toward home.
“Later, kid.”
“Mercy, you got a minute?”
He picked up on the second ring and I heard his gruff tone. “Avenger. Everything okay with the sparrow?”
“Yeah. Need to talk to you though.”
As soon as I hung up, I planned to text and check in. This was month four since the sparrow relocated to Tonopah. I needed to make sure they were alright before the holidays.
“What you got?”
“Club is looking for some new business ventures. Grim wants to meet. Looking to invest in Hope’s Refuge.”
“I see. Well, looks like fate has plans to help that along. I just dropped a sparrow in Reno.”
That was convenient. “Can you ride to the Crossroads? It’s right outside of Tonopah.”
“Text me the address and I’ll see you in a few hours.”
We hung up and I gave Mercy the info. Grim was thrilled when I passed the message along. Church was postponed until after the meet, so I headed over to grab a beer before Mercy arrived.
Three hours later he pulled onto the lot and was ushered in by one of the prospects.
Mercy walked into the chapel and Grim’s eyes widened. It was the only visible clue that the image wasn’t what Grim expected. I hid a snicker since I’d had the same reaction the first time that I bumped into the 6’5” monster of a man who stood in front of us with a knowing grin.
“Papa, nice to see you,” he rasped. “The only ghost I like to bump into in the light of day.”
No shit. We were named ghosts for a reason. Not one of us met and we kept our communications strictly business. The situation with me and Mercy was unique and that had everything to do with Murder and Lily.
Mercy’s gaze locked on mine. A black heart was tattooed under his right eye and attached to a web that was pulled from the bottom and stretched all the way down his neck where a black widow spider crawled along most of his throat on the same side. Under the left eye were three teardrops for the three men he killed in prison to avenge the woman he loved and lost.
His barrel-shaped chest was covered in red flannel and a full-length black leather trench coat that brushed the top of the combat boots her wore. Dark jeans covered his thick legs that resembled tree trunks more than limbs. MERCY was tattooed across the knuckles of his right hand while another black widow spider covered his left hand. All of his fingernails were painted black.
Peeking beneath the jacket were leather shoulder holsters that held at least two weapons. I was betting that coat had multiple pockets that held more concealed within. Completely bald, he wore black sunglasses that were tugged off and shoved into a nearby pocket, exposing the icy blue color of his eyes.
He wasn’t as big as Mammoth but still one of the most intimidating men I’d ever met.
“Mercy. Always a pleasure.” He grunted at my words. “Glad you could make it. This is the pres of the Royal Bastards MC. Grim, meet Mercy. The official leader of the ghosts and Hope’s Refuge.”
Grim held out a hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mercy.”
They clasped hands and shook hard as Mercy sauntered forward. “I’ve heard about you and your club too. Interesting thing you all do.”
Grim cracked a smile. “That’s one way to describe it. Can I get you a drink?”
“Jameson. Neat.”
Grim went to the bar on the side of the room and poured a few drinks, handing over the whiskey to Mercy. I tossed back my own and took a seat, watching their interaction with interest.
“Heard you’re lookin’ to invest.” Mercy didn’t sit down, just stayed put as he slowly savored his drink. “Got to tell you, that’s good to hear.”
Grim leaned back in his seat after taking a couple of shots. “Glad you’re on board. I’m thinkin’ you know what our Reapers are capable of. We’re added security and we can help keep Hope’s Refuge from financial stress.”
“Money isn’t usually an issue, but it’s been a rough year. Had more trouble than I can keep up with alone.”
“Then this is mutually beneficial.”
