“You’re not fine, you’re bleeding,” I pointed out, and she looked down at her hand in surprise, staring at the blood on her fingers.
“I want fucking answers now. Are you working for them? Is that what this is about? You trying to go after my fucking daughter?”
“No,” Tanya sobbed. “I didn’t mean to. It was… I was angry, and I just picked it up and threw it. I swear King, I swear I didn’t intend to do it.”
“Angry?” King roared, moving towards Tanya, his whole body vibrating as he grabbed her.
She struggled to get out of his grasp, but his fingers were pressing into the bare skin of her upper arms. Her feet scrambled against the dirt, heels digging in as she tried to get away. He may have been in his fifties, but King was tall and solid muscle, and he was pissed enough that he didn’t care he had hold of a woman.
I glanced at Handlebar who stepped towards them, as if he was going to stop King but was unsure. Whether that was because he didn’t want to see King hurt a woman or because of what Tanya had done, I wasn’tsure. I put myself in front of Waverley, not knowing what the danger to her was, but I sure as shit wasn’t letting her get hurt any more than she already was.
“Handlebar, get Ballistic out here. I want answers from her.”
“No,” Tanya whimpered.
Everyone knew what getting Ballistic meant. I stepped towards them, against my better judgement, held up a hand to halt Handlebar. He looked conflicted about whether he should obey his president or me. I went on, forcing him to stay.
“What the hell happened?” I asked. Tanya turned her head to me. Her face was a mess of tears and snot and terror. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t mean it, Hudson. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was a stupid reaction and…” she dissolved into sobs, almost falling against King.
He released and pushed her. She stumbled and fell to the floor, still crying. Everyone was standing in shock. I could see he was about to shout at her again, or do something else, so I put a hand on his arm. He turned his rage to me, but I didn’t back down.
“I heard shouting, so I came out of the garage to see what was going on,” Handlebar spoke up.
“When I saw it was Waverley, I headed over,”
Tanya sobbed louder, the meaning in his words clear. If it had been another club girl she was fighting with, Handlebar would have left them to it. King was so fixated on the danger his daughter was in that all he saw was a conspiracy Tanya could be working against the club. I pinched the bridge of my nose and indicated with the other hand for Handlebar to go on.
“I don’t know what was said, but Waverley turned to walk away, and she picked up a rock. I came over to stop her, but she already threw it.”
I looked down at the rock he was holding in his hand. It was pretty big and jagged. It wasn’t just a rock like the others lying around in the gravel, it was big. Big enough to do some serious damage. And it had, judging by the blood on Waverley’s head.
“I pushed Waverley, so it didn’t hit her as bad,” Handlebar finished.
“If that hit my daughter full force,” King’s fists were clenched hard, his voice had gone quiet, which was a sure sign he was about to blow up. “Like you fucking intended,” he spat.
“I didn’t. I swear.”
“Are you working for the Kingsmen?”
She was so lost in terror and emotion, Tanya couldn’t formulate any words. I hadn’t considered Tanya might be working with them. Didn’t believe it for a second but I could see how King might make that leap. He didn’t know the extent of Tanya’s obsession. Her jealousy was all-consuming. It was because of me Waverley got hurt.
“It has nothing to do with that.” We all turned to look at Waverley as she spoke up and walked closer. “Calm down, dad.”
“Calm down?” he whirled on his daughter. “If Handlebar hadn’t stepped in, you could be fucking dead!”
“But I’m not,” Waverley said.
I didn’t like that she wasn’t so steady on her feet.
“That isn’t the point!” King shouted.
“Don’t yell at me. She isn’t working for the Kingsmen,” Waverley argued, as she looked down at Tanya with surprising sympathy. “This is about her feelings for Hudson.”
“What?” King asked incredulously.
“Fuck,” I tipped my head back.
