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Lash and Zeus follow me back to the compound. While my brother-in-law heads for his home, Zeus follows me to the side of the row house. We park and he checks my place out before allowing me to enter. I kick off my shoes and fix my hair back up in a messy bun before pulling out what I’ll need to make dinner. Zeus makes himself comfortable on the couch and turns a movie on while I prepare meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas. The only time I sit down is after putting the meatloaf in the oven and the potatoes on to boil. I try not to sit too close to Zeus as he continues watching TV.
“So, why doesn’t your sister know you want to open a candy store and catering company? I thought you two shared everythin’?” he questions me, never once looking in my direction.
“Because this is something I wanted to be all mine. I know if I tell her about it, she’ll tell me to use the money we’ve been saving and letting collect interest. That’s not what I want to use the money for. I use a little of my portion for school and the rest I just let collect more money.”
“Makes sense. You gonna be good with the club backin’ you on this if we agree to it?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Not everyone feels as if a business will thrive with our name attached to it.”
“Those are people who don’t know you then. Why did you ask me if I was gonna make dinner tonight? We have never eaten a meal together,” I ask him, needing to know his answer.
“Didn’t eat at the diner after lunch. I’m hungry and I know you need to eat too. So, I thought we could share a meal. Plus, it means you’re not alone here with nothin’ to do but get lost in your head. Again,” he responds, barely sparing me a glance.
“I see. Well, if the food wasn’t already in the oven and cooking, I might just kick you out for that. I don’t need anyone spending time with me because they feel sorry for me.”
“Not what I’m doin’ Jae Bird.”
I know with those words Zeus won’t say anything else on the matter. He talks, but when he’s done, he won’t budge. Sabotage is the complete opposite. He’ll continue a conversation with you until you walk away from him. Zeus communicates with the guys of the club to a certain extent. Sab gets him to open up more than anyone else for some reason. I know something happened in his past to change the man he was becoming, but no one will share any details. Maybe no one knows other than Sabotage. I just wish he could talk to me too.
Standing up from the couch, I make my way back to the kitchen where I check on all the food cooking and prepare the biscuits to round out our meal. I’ve been getting my appetite back and just wanted some comfort food tonight. This is a meal I always go to when I’m not alone and can have tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. Or over easy eggs with toast. I’m sure Zeus would have eaten either, but I tend to pig out on those meals and thought this would be better. Plus, I’ll have leftovers and won’t have to worry about lunch and dinner tomorrow. It’s a win-win if you ask me.
While I put the finishing touches on dinner, Zeus gets up and sets the table for us. He moves around me without getting in the way or missing a beat. Pouring us each a glass of milk, he waits until I’m done with everything to help me carry it all to the table. I have no words for what I’m feeling at this moment as we move together as if we’ve been doing it for years instead of just tonight. It’s like we’re completely in sync and neither one of us says a word about it as we take our seats and serve up portions of the food I just made us.
“This is really fuckin’ good,” Zeus says after swallowing his first bite of food. “I have no doubt you’ll be successful in your business.”
“It’s one meal, Zeus. You can’t know I’ll be successful from one bite,” I tell him, trying not to get my hopes up for any reason about this.
“Yeah, I can. I’ve had meatloaf more times than I can count. I’ve never tasted anythin’ this good. The potatoes are really creamy, and these biscuits are to die for. I know you didn’t make them from scratch, but they’re cooked to perfection. I might talk to Lash about you caterin’ the next cookout for the club. No one will know the food is comin’ from you, so you’ll get an honest opinion from everyone who eats it,” he says, making my heart jump.
“And how am I gonna pull off catering a cookout without anyone knowing?”
“Use the kitchen at the diner. No one will say anythin’ about it since you work there already, and we own it. Now, I think this is somethin’ you need to do after you turn in your business plan for us to go over. Or maybe just before. Then, the guys will have to put two and two together to figure out you’re the one who cooked us the food they just ate. Lash and I will be the only ones who know. Do you think you could make it happen? Maybe in a week or two if you’re that far done with your plan.”
“I could probably make it work. For now, why don’t you just work on eating this meal and maybe then we can watch a movie before you head out?” I ask, not sure if I’m pushing my luck with him tonight or not.
“We can do that.”
The rest of our meal is finished in silence. Zeus goes back for seconds and thirds of everything in front of him. While I still have leftovers, there’s not as much as I was hoping for. Oh well. It makes me feel good to know he truly likes my food and isn’t filling me with hope for no reason. There’s a difference between complimenting someone to be nice and setting them up to impress an entire club of opinionated bikers who have no problem letting others know they don’t like something. This is what I need if I’m ever going to open a catering business. No one will be more harsh than this group of men and women once they find out I’m the one who made the food all by myself. I can’t wait!
I’M DRAGGING ASS when we get back from the run. Talon pushed us hard as fuck on the way back because of everything going on with Hartley and Jae’s mom. We didn’t stop for any reason and the Prospects kept up with us without any problem. Cole did a really good job for his first run, and we were all very impressed with how he acted the entire time we’ve been gone. He’s definitely going to have no problems getting his patch when the time comes. Now, I can’t even shower the road grime off or get a beer before we have to head into church. Don’t get me wrong, I want to know what the fuck is going on with Jae and Hartley, but I’m so exhausted and ready to just get a few hours of sleep before we discuss anything as a club. Instead, I’ll do what needs to be done because it has something to do with Jaelyn.
I still don’t know what all is going on with her. Hopefully Zeus will fill me in later on when we’re alone. Though, not until after I manage to get a few hours of sleep. I’m not up for having any one-on-one conversations with my best friend right now. Hopefully I’ll remain awake for church. Yeah, that’s how tired I am right now. We rode straight through and hard as fuck. I’m not exactly old, but I’m not as young as I used to be either. This shit is not for an old man. That’s definitely what I feel like today.
After parking my bike in line with everyone else, I head inside without waiting for anyone else to follow me. I don’t stop at the bar, head for my room, or anything else. My feet take me directly to church and hand over my gun and knife to Ted. My phone is placed on the table with the other guys’ before I head in and take my seat at the table. Lash nods at me as he takes in my bedraggled appearance. Yeah, I look like shit. I haven’t shaved since we left, my clothes are a rumpled mess, and I’m covered in dirt and other grime from riding. I don’t know what he expects me to look like right now. Or anyone else who was with me.
It's not long before we have a full table and Lash calls our meeting to order by slamming the gavel on the table in front of him. My head pounds in time with my heart as the beginning of a headache takes hold.
“Alright. Zeus, fill everyone who hasn’t been here in on what happened when you ran into Hartley and Jaelyn’s mom at the diner,” Lash states.
He’s sitting in the chair at the head of the table looking completely relaxed. If you didn’t know my brother, you wouldn’t think he had a care in the world right now. Every single man in this room, however, knows he’s anything but relaxed. His jaw is clenched so tight I’m surprised he’s not spitting out teeth yet, the tendons in his neck are standing out and pulsing with the fast beat of his heart, and the most telling sign is the slight tinge of red to his face. He’s ready to kill someone and I have no clue what’s pissed him off this bad. But I’m about to find out.
“Her mom and some man showed up at the diner. She walked right up to Jaelyn as if they’re on good terms, callin’ her baby girl and shit. When Jae Bird said she didn’t know her and tried to give her the cold shoulder, the woman flipped her shit. She told her she was gonna go with her and the man she was with and spend some time together. I stepped up between them as Jae shrunk back in the booth to get further away from her and told her she wasn’t goin’ anywhere with them,” Zeus tells us as rage fills me.
“Do we know anythin’ about the man her mom was with? Or why her mom suddenly figured out where the hell the girls are? There’s a reason she’s come back after all this time and I want to know what it is,” I bark out, slamming my hand on the table in front of me.
“The fucker’s name is Bastard. He’s the President of a motorcycle club called the Cold Demons. Let me tell you somethin’, his cut was dirty as fuck, and I couldn’t even see the flash on the front of his cut when he was standin’ right in front of me. No respect for the leather he was wearing on his back. I’m still workin’ on findin’ information out about the club, but they’re not from anywhere near here. And, they were both high as fuck when they approached us in the diner. Not sure what the hell they’re takin’ either.
