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“He’s fine for a few hours, as long as he’s fed and has water. He actually knows how to twist door knobs to let himself out, did you know that?” I applied some lip gloss, forgetting we’d encounter gnats and other flying insects on our way over to the clubhouse.
Laura scoffed, “Oh I remember. He did that when I took him with me to a friend’s house. Scared the shit out of me.”
I checked Max’s water bowl and then pressed a kiss to the top of his head before walking out the front door. By the time we were headed down the road toward the clubhouse, Laura and I both looked like we’d just stepped from a magazine, so long as it was one that featured tattoos, ripped clothes, and smoky eyes. My hair was curled down my back, Laura’s was tossed into an updo, and our shaved and moisturized legs were on display.
We were on a mission, and with the way my heart kicked inside my chest, I was nervous that someone might catch on.
The sound of revving engines echoed as we came upon the back entrance to the club. A large patch of grass with cornhole and yard darts stretched in front of us. Off to the side, there was a nice, paved patio with cushioned furniture, and a fire pit that was contained to a circular stove, all neat and tidy.
My gaze kept bouncing from feature to feature, practically laughing as thoughts of some HGTV episode kept popping into my head. How was this the same club that my grandfather had started? Growing up, everything we had was broken, chipped, rusted, or busted. Nothing was new, and the members of Stone Riders preferred it that way. I couldn’t imagine they were happy with this manicured getup.
Up the stairs led to the club, and I noticed again, there was a partitioned privacy fence along half the back of the house, dividing it from the club and someone’s living space.
With hardly anyone out back, we went unnoticed as we slipped inside through the rear door. Creeping down the hallway, we rounded the back of the kitchen where Red was wiping out glasses, joking with one of the girls.
Several of the older members were scattered around a jumbled mess of tables all pushed together, playing cards, while the younger ones seemed busy around the garage area.
“This round there’s no cheating,” Hamish hollered around the cigarette dangling from his mouth. Brooks and Raif laughed, staring at the cards in their hands while the overhead speakers played something older, drowning out the sounds from the garage across the building. Laura came up to my side, giving me a curious look.
My eyebrows were arched too, confused as to how exactly we’d timed this so poorly. The place was practically empty. No sweetbutts were hanging around, no prospects were doing any projects or big overhauls. From what I could tell, it was just the old timers.
“Looks like you’re up.” Laura pushed at my waist, forcing me to move.
I skirted the bar top, sliding onto a stool as Laura busied herself around the club, likely snooping as much as she could before getting caught.
The men playing cards weren’t looking up, so they didn’t see me, but Red caught my eye from the kitchen. With a small gesture from her, I was off the stool and making my way toward the kitchen.
Once I was far enough back, I sidled up near Red and waited.
“You came back.” She looked up, palming an onion. The girl with her was about my age but seemed a bit skittish. With a quick glance up at me, she blushed and went back to sorting through a box of vegetables.
“I did…” I answered, letting my response drag out. I flicked my gaze back over the room to ensure Wes wasn’t around. “Red, you wouldn’t have a way to get into Wesley’s room, would you?”
Growing up here, the clubhouse was always my home, but it was the club first and foremost. The top floor had eight bedrooms and the bottom level had seven makeshift rooms, all for members. Then there was the garage and attached spaces that housed even more, so I knew without a doubt that Wes had to have a room in the club somewhere, especially as the new president.
Red gave me a sly smile as she focused on the onions, sorting through a large box, tossing out the bad and bringing a few to her nose. After a few seconds, she let out a sigh.
“I was just telling Natty here how much things have changed over the years in this club.” Red glanced over her shoulder at the girl, presumably Natty. The girl with long hair the color of honey, smiled up at me and then ducked her head again.
Red continued talking. “Before, when your daddy ran things, the president would stay here in the clubhouse with everyone else. It was a family, a chaotic mess of limbs and smells I didn’t care for but had gotten used to after so many years. You get used to seeing a pair of tits and a swinging dick or two.
Now, it’s not like that. The president lives privately from the club, in his own quarters. There’s not even an entrance to his house from this side of the club…you’d have to go outside and use the door or find a window. He doesn’t have a room like our old prez, our new one needed half the goddamn club to call his home. But he keeps us safe, and his fancy show paid for all these nice upgrades, so I can’t complain.”
I was picking up on what she was saying. She was telling me how to get into Wesley’s house, without coming right out and saying it. I nodded along with her story, digging my hands into the box of onions and moving on to a smaller box of tomatoes.
“Do you think my dad would have approved of this new president?”
I wasn’t really sure why I was asking. Red had given me my answer, and I was free to go. It would be smart to try to snoop while Wesley was gone. Assuming he evenwasgone.
Red clicked her tongue, tilting her head to the side. “Your daddy loved that boy. He had wanted him to join after the first time he met him. But he knew Wes never would; he’d never risk losing you.”
My stomach flipped unexpectedly. I wasn’t prepared for that story to come up, and even worse, I didn’t want her to stop, so I stayed quiet.
“Your daddy often talked about how there was no love on this planet like the kind Wes had for Callie. The whole club joked and razed them for it, but behind closed doors, it was an awe-inspiring thing. Their love was the most solid thing we’d ever witnessed, and the way it kept flourishing year after year…then everything changed when that Raider took you.” Red’s gentle gaze landed on mine, and suddenly I was eighteen again, trying to breathe through another panic attack as memories of the kidnapping would slam back into me.
Red used to help me through them…after the event.
I decided that was enough story time for me. I reached out and gently squeezed Red’s wrist while giving her a smile before slipping out of the kitchen. I still had no idea where Laura was, but it was probably for the best. She wouldn’t know what to look for in Wesley’s house, but I did. I knew exactly where to search.
