“What?”came a gruff voice from the device.Pike appeared beside her, a chair in hand.She hadn’t even noticed him getting up.He set it down and motioned for her to take a seat.She nodded and mouthed ‘thank you’.Pike nodded then went back to his computer.
“Hey, you’re on speaker.”
“Fucker.Who’s there?”
“Me, Pike, and Tania.”
“Why’s the woman there?”
“Because she’s the one who has a question for you.If you’ll stop being a grumpy ass, I could tell you all of it at once.”
There was a moment of silence before the man on the other end of the line exhaled loudly.
“Fine.Tell me what’s up.”
“Tania just read through the paperwork you drew up for her.She has a question.I have to admit, it’s a good one.”
“What’s the question?”his voice turned from surly to professional.Hawkeye met her gaze and tilted his head toward the phone.
“I-I know we can’t get around the payout for Rod that’s outlined in the prenup,” She stammered at first, but forced herself to go on, “but is there any way we can say that what he’s already stolen counts?”
“Hmm.Like time served can count towards sentencing.”The voice over the phone sounded intrigued.“It hadn’t occurred to me.I can draw it up that way then it will be up to the judge to accept it or make a different order.I like it.”He fell silent for a couple of moments.“Don’t sign what you’ve got there.Give me an hour.I’ll send over an updated version with that change.Anything else while I’m at it?”
“There’s nothing in here about Carter.”
“Carter?Oh yeah.The baby.That’s because by the time that lands on the judge’s desk, the baby will no longer be legally Werners.I’ve already drawn up the petition for custody for Smokey.I think he’s already signed it?”the last lilted up as a question.
“He has.I’m watching the lab for test results.As soon as they come in, I’ll get all that paperwork in front of the judge.”
“That fast?”Tania asked, eyes wide.
“We have a few connections.Sometimes we have to actually go through the system on things.It pays to have connections and people who owe you favors.”
“Remind me not to piss you all off.”
“You have nothing to worry about, babe,” came the voice on the phone.“Not unless you betray us or Smokey.If you’re loyal to us, we’ll be loyal to you.You’re family now.”
Tania blinked.What did you say to something like that?
“I’ve been betrayed enough.I have no intention of betraying anyone, ever.”
“Then you’ll always be family.That’s good.I can’t wait to get home and meet you in person.You sound like exactly the kind of woman we need around the clubhouse.”
“Okay.”She drew out the one word as she wasn’t sure if the man on the phone was saying he liked her or if he was saying the other women here weren’t what they needed.
Hawkeye picked up the phone, spoke with whoever was on the other end for a moment then disconnected.
“That was Fletch, by the way.He’s the club attorney.He’s a little different.Social interaction isn’t his strong point.But he’s Spider’s best friend so he’s staying in Bozeman until Spider can come home.”
“Why’s Spider stuck in Bozeman?”she asked with a frown.She’d heard the name and that something was going on but she hadn’t heard what and hadn’t felt it appropriate to ask before.
“He was in an accident last month,” Pike said.“It was bad.He had a lot of injuries but the one that’s become the most serious was a compound fracture of his leg.He developed an infection.They had him in a medically induced coma for a while, but ended up having to amputate in order to save his life.”
“Now he’s recovering from that surgery.”Hawkeye took over the telling.“Physically, he’s healing.”
“But physical isn’t all of us, is it?”Tania said, understanding.She couldn’t imagine all the implications of losing a leg.She would have a hard time with it and she wasn’t a rough and tumble, I can do anything I want who suddenly has to rely on someone or something to help him do everything.Even bathe and use the restroom.Her chest ached as she thought about it.
“Where you headed?”Hawkeye asked.
