“I know, baby.”He dropped her backpack on the bed and pulled her into his arms.He held her while she took several deep breaths.She’d told him about the wreck that had claimed her father’s life and why she couldn’t handle being on a motorcycle on the Interstate.He didn’t blame her and if she never got past it, he still wouldn’t have a negative thing to say about it.She was brave enough to admit she couldn’t handle it rather than avoiding the situation or faking her way through it then ending up an emotional mess afterward.
When she’d had enough and moved to step away, he let her go.
“What are your plans?”he asked
“I thought I would take a shower, then maybe go downstairs and have a drink or two, maybe kick back in one of the recliners with a book if things aren’t getting too wild down there.Is there something you had in mind?”
Bishop shook his head.“I’ve got a couple things I need to check on at the shop.It seems a couple of issues popped up with one of the bikes and I need to take a look because the owner will be here tomorrow to pick it up.It’s gonna take Bulldog and I both to get it done before he gets here.”He smoothed a stray lock of hair from where it drooped into her eyes.“I wish I could go sit with you while you read, but I’ve got to take care of this.Will you be all right on your own?”
Winter gave a mirthless chuckle.“I haven’t been alone since I walked up to you at the street fair the other day.”
“Are we overwhelming you by being around all the time?”He watched her, worried that she’d gotten used to not being around a club.That she wouldn’t be able to make the adjustment to being around him and his brothers most of the time.
“No, not at all.”She turned away, peeled off her patchling cut, and hung it up next to the door before she sat on the edge of the bed and took her boots and socks off.
“You sure?”
She stood and moved toward him.Winter met his gaze as she continued to move in, bracing her hands against his chest.She leaned close and stretched up to place a chaste kiss against his lips.“I didn’t realize how lonely I’d let myself get.I’d made myself forget how nice it is to have family around in case you need something, even if that’s just a partner to help with whatever trouble you’ve thought up this time.”She leaned forward and kissed him again, this time longer and deeper, as if she needed to show him how much she wanted him.“You’re not overwhelming me, you’ve made me realize how much I need to either stay here or go home.I love it here.I am perfectly fine on my own in the clubhouse.If they start to get too wild downstairs, I’ll just come up here.”
He pulled her close and gave her a searing kiss before releasing her.“Sounds like a plan.Bathe, relax, do your thing.I’m gonna go get this job taken care of so I can join you.I’m not sure how late I’ll be so if you need anything, call me.”He knew she had his number because Hammer had let him know he’d put all the brothers’ numbers in while he’d been trying to figure out how Fuckwad had been tracking her.
Winter unzipped her bag and was in the middle of pulling things out when he leaned in, kissed the top of her head, and headed for the door.
He scanned the common room until he spotted Bulldog, then jerked his head toward the shop, letting his president know he was leaving.Before he made it across the room, Bulldog was on his feet and headed in his direction.
They were silent as they crossed the yard to the shop and let themselves inside.They stayed quiet as they made their way into the pit beneath the floor.Once beneath ground level, they made their way past most of the shelves where they kept tools and parts that would be used from under the vehicle.Almost to the far end was one that looked like the rest, but was mounted to the wall instead of sitting on the floor, though you couldn’t tell by looking at it.
Bishop hit the hidden latch and swung the door open revealing a short hall.He waited until Bulldog stepped inside and pulled the door shut behind him before he hit the latch to let them into the nearly bare room where the fuckwad harassing Winter sat zip-tied to a folding metal chair sitting on top of a large sheet of plastic in the middle of the room.
Ashes sat to one side of the door, arms folded across his chest, his head tilted back against the wall and his eyes barely more than a slit as he watched the gagged man.
“How’s it been?”Bulldog asked Ashes as he pulled the door closed.
“He yelled for a couple of hours.After a while I got tired of listening to it so I gagged him.He yelled for a while after that, but at least it was muffled some.”
Ashes stood, rolled his shoulders, and cracked his neck.“Is it time to have some fun with him now?”
“It is.”Bishop shrugged out of his cut, folded and tucked it under the plastic sheeting covering the only table in the room.On top of the plastic sat an array of weapons and tools.He picked up the homemade bludgeon.He swung it in a circle a couple of times, then smacked it against his palm a couple more as he walked around the chair where the fucker sat.
“Do you know why you’re here?”Bishop asked.
The fucker grunted and shook his head as he tried to answer but was muffled by the gag still bisecting his face.
“You want to let him answer?”Ashes asked without moving from where he leaned one shoulder against the wall, one leg bent and resting on the toe of his boot.
“Not yet,” Bishop said, walking around the chair.“I think before we give him a chance to talk his way out of this, he needs to feel a bit of the fear he made Winter feel.What do you think?”He looked at Bulldog, ignoring the man who’d begun to fight his bindings, making the chair he was strapped to rock.Bishop wondered if the idiot would manage to fold the chair with him inside it.
He swung the bludgeon as he moved around in front of the captive and hit him in the ribs.The fuckwad grunted, but didn’t say anything.
“I’m not sure he’s getting the seriousness of his situation.What do you think, Bulldog?”
“I think you’re right.Hammer said don’t go too far yet.He’s got a couple of leads we’re going to question him about.”
“What on?”
“I’m not sure.He didn’t say.Only that he had a few things he needed to double check and either he would be out or he would send Forge out with a list of things to question this ass-fucker about.”
“Basically, I just need to make sure he can talk.Give him a little motivation to tell us what we need to know?”Bishop said, not bothering to look at Bulldog as he spoke, still circling the chair and the target of his ire.
